Despite having served three consecutive terms as mayor of Mabalacat City, Cris Garbo has filed his candidacy for mayor once again, accompanied by his daughter WinWin current board member, who is running for vice mayor. Garbo first assumed office in 2016 after the cancellation of former Mayor Boking Morales’s Certificate of Candidacy, a decision supported by the Commission on Elections and the Supreme Court. He was subsequently reelected in 2019 and 2022.
However, challenges loom as Vice Mayor Geld Aquino’s camp is expected to file a disqualification case after obtaining a copy of Garbo’s candidacy documents. Additionally, Garbo faces a corruption case with the Ombudsman concerning a controversial P610 million land purchase financed by Landbank.
Recently, businessman Bong Pineda criticized Garbo’s character, stating, “We need to remove this corrupt mayor.” As the election approaches, the political landscape in Mabalacat remains tense.
