ILOILO – Former congressman Niel “Jun-jun” Tupas Jr. has suffered yet another political setback. He lost the May 12 midterm elections in his bid to reclaim the 5th District congressional seat — this time to his sister-in-law, outgoing Provincial Board member Binky Tupas.
This marks Niel Jr.’s third consecutive defeat in his attempts to return to Congress, highlighting the family feud that has fractured the once-powerful Tupas political clan in Iloilo.
Data from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) showed Binky secured 145,283 votes, beating Niel Jr.’s 113,313 by a margin of 31,970 votes. Her victory also makes her the first-ever congresswoman of the 5th District, the province’s largest voting bloc with 318,739 registered voters.
In 2016, Niel Jr.’s wife, Atty. Yvonne Angeli Lee-Tupas, attempted to succeed him after his term ended. She was defeated by Niel Jr.’s younger brother, Raul “Boboy” Tupas, Binky’s husband.
Niel Jr. then made unsuccessful comeback bids in 2019 and 2022, both times losing to Raul.
This 2025 defeat adds a new chapter to the intra-family political rivalry that began when Raul broke ranks in 2016 and ran – and won – against his elder brother’s wife, triggering a bitter sibling rift that continues to shape the district’s political landscape.
In a brief post-election statement, Niel Jr. expressed gratitude to his supporters: “Salamat gid to all those who supported me and stood by my side… I know the only reason of those who voted for me was purely pagpalangga (love). I will forever cherish your love and support.”
Meanwhile, Congresswoman-elect Binky Tupas thanked voters for entrusting her with the opportunity to serve, and called for unity moving forward.
“For the first time, you chose a woman to represent the 5th District. Thank you very much… Together with Cong. Boboy, I am calling for healing and reconciliation as we move forward.”
Comelec-Iloilo data show that voter turnout in the province reached 1,135,709 out of 1,319,109 registered voters./PN
