MANILA – There are 124 aspirants for the 36 seats at stake in the 83-year-old Quezon City Council in the May 9 elections.
Quezon City, the former capital of the country from 1948 to 1976, is composed of six congressional or city districts with a total of 142 barangays.
There are 37 barangays in the first district, five in the second district, 37 in the third district, 38 in the fourth district, 14 in the fifth district, and 11 in the sixth district.
According to data from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Quezon City, the city’s second district has the biggest number of aspirants with 27, followed by the sixth district with 25, third and fourth districts with 19 each, fifth district with 18, and first district with 16.
The largest local government unit (LGU) in Metro Manila or the National Capital Region (NCR) in terms of population and land area, Quezon City's 142 barangays have a total population of 2,936,116 as of the 2015 national census.
Meanwhile, aside from reelectionist Mayor Joy G. Belmonte, daughter of former House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., there are eight other candidates for the city's top elective post.
Those trying to succeed the young Belmonte, who is finishing her first three-year term on June 30, are outgoing Rep. Michael Defensor, Glenda Araneta, Ric Belle, Inventor Jose Ingles, Rolando Jota, Emma Orozco, Toni Salutan, and Diosdado Velasco.
For the vice mayor’s post, there are three contenders against reelectionist Vice Mayor Gian Sotto, son of vice presidential aspirant Vicente C. Sotto III. They are former congressman and outgoing Councilor Winnie Castelo, Chrsitine Lozano, and Helen Rodriguez.
The QC Council since 1939
According to the QC Council official website, President Manuel L. Quezon named only three councilors for the newly created city in 1939 under Commonwealth Act No. 502.
The first batch of appointed City Council members was composed of Dr. Eusebio Aguilar, then Director of Health, who was concurrently City Health Officer; Jose Paez from the Engineering Division of the Capital City Planning Commission; and General Manager Alejandro Roces Sr. of the People's Homesite Corporation.
For the following years, the number of members of the City Council increased gradually, as per need of the growing city. From the original three members in 1939, there were four councilors in 1947-1949; five in 1949-1950; then 11 in 1950-1953; increasing to 12 in 1954-1959, and back to eight in 1959-1963.
Before 1959, the mayor, vice mayor and councilors of Quezon City were appointed by the President. The last appointed and first elected top executive of the city was Mayor Norberto S. Amoranto, who held office for a record 22 years -- from 1954 to 1976.
There were eight councilors for the Seventh, Eighth and Ninth City Councils, or before the QC Charter was revised once again to accommodate 16 members for the four districts (four for each district).
From the 11th City Council (1988-1992) until the 18th Council (2010-2013), it was composed of the vice mayor/presiding officer, 24 councilors and two ex-officio members--the presidents of the Barangay Captains' League and the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation.
On March 22, 2011, the House of Representatives passed the reapportionment of the Second Legislative District (Novaliches area) of Quezon City to create two additional districts.
The same was approved by the Senate on May 15, 2012. President Benigno S. Aquino III officially signed it into law on July 2, 2012, thereby dividing the Novaliches area into three districts. The first election for the reapportioned City Council was held in May 2013.
The outgoing 21st City Council is composed of 36 elected councilors, plus the two ex-officio members. (PNA)
