ILOILO – Despite the backing of the influential Garin political clan, Cong. Raul “Boboy” Tupas failed to secure a win in Iloilo’s 1st District — an area considered Garin territory — in his unsuccessful bid for the vice governorship against Mayor Lee Ann Debuque of Anilao town in the 4th District.
Tupas, currently the 5th District congressman, lost to Debuque by 46,599 votes in the overall provincial tally, securing 500,863 votes against Debuque’s 547,462.
Notably, he was also outvoted in the 1st District by 1,141 votes, garnering 91,228 votes versus Debuque’s 92,369.
According to 1st District’s Cong. Janette Garin, a key ally of Tupas under the LAKAS party banner, the primary reason for his defeat in her district was his limited visibility on the ground.
“People now want to see their candidates, talk to them, and feel their presence,” said Garin. “Even if they know you, if they don’t see you, they tend to complain. In contrast, Lee Ann made frequent visits.”
Debuque ran under the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas alongside Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. She enjoyed wide support from incumbent congressmen across the province — Ferjenel Biron (4th District), Lorenz Defensor (3rd District), and Michael Gorriceta (2nd District) — as well as from local officials such as Liga ng mga Barangay Provincial Federation President Amalia Victoria Debuque.
In contrast, Tupas had to divide his time across multiple districts in support of his own campaign and that of his wife, Binky Tupas, who was running for 5th District representative against former congressman Niel “Jun-jun” Tupas Jr., his brother.
Out of the seven municipalities in the 1st District, Tupas only won in Guimbal and Igbaras, while Debuque swept Miag-ao, San Joaquin, Oton, Tigbauan, and Tubungan. The biggest margin was seen in Oton where Debuque got 34,835 votes compared to Tupas’ 24,304.
Garin noted that she had warned Tupas about declining survey numbers in the district, especially in Miag-ao where his support dropped by almost 20 percent from December 2024 to April 2025.
“We saw in our commissioned surveys that his ratings were falling. The province is vast, and it’s a real challenge for one man to cover everything alone,” she explained.
While Tupas tried to compensate by sending his two daughters to campaign in his stead, Garin admitted this was not enough to sway voters.
“It’s different when the candidate himself is present,” said Garin.
Tupas also failed to dominate the 2nd District where he was expected to perform better. Debuque secured 114,499 votes there, leaving Tupas with only 62,480 — a lead of 52,019 votes for Debuque.
In the 3rd and 4th Districts, Debuque again won convincingly. She earned 144,826 votes in the 3rd versus Tupas’ 70,658, and 141,361 in the 4th compared to Tupas’ 76,927.
Tupas’ only landslide came from his home turf, the 5th District, where he obtained 199,570 votes against Debuque’s 54,405.
Despite the loss, Garin expressed hope that this defeat could mark a new beginning for Tupas.
“Maybe it’s an opening. Cong. Boboy is highly qualified and capable in many areas,” she said./PN
