The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) First Division has ruled that the election protest filed by former Pampanga Board Member Mylyn Pineda-Cayabyab against incumbent City of San Fernando (CSFP) Mayor Vilma Caluag is “sufficient in form and content,” allowing an official recount to begin on February 2.
After losing to Caluag in the 2025 midterm elections, Pineda-Cayabyab filed an election protest before COMELEC on May 22, seeking a manual recount of votes from all 239 precincts in the city.
Stated in the order, COMELEC noted that the protest was supported by thousands of sworn and notarized affidavits from voters, which the poll body said carried probative value and could serve as evidence to support Pineda-Cayabyab’s claims.
Pineda-Cayabyab’s legal counsel previously stated that around 13,000 affidavits had been collected from voters alleging irregularities, including pre-shaded ballots and discrepancies between the votes they cast and the results reflected by the machines.
Furthermore, the order stated that the allegations in the protest were “specific enough to warrant the recount proceedings,” and thus deemed the election protest sufficient in form and content.
According to COMELEC, the ruling only attests that Pineda-Cayabyab’s protest is procedurally sufficient and allows her to present evidence, while the official recount is not a determinant of any guilt or victory between the protestant and protestee, but a fact-finding process meant to verify vote accuracy and strengthen public confidence in the electoral system.
Caluag claims mayor title, Pinedas fail to get CSFP
In the 2025 midterm elections, the Pineda dynasty in Pampanga won the gubernatorial race, with mother-and-son tandem Lilia “Nanay” Pineda and Dennis “Delta” Pineda securing the posts of governor and vice governor, extending their family’s influence in the province until the 2028 elections.
Meanwhile, Mylyn Pineda-Cayabyab, the daughter of the elected Governor and sister of elected Vice Governor, failed to claim the mayorship of CSFP, receiving 49,061 votes compared with Vilma Caluag’s 127,124.
Moreover, Caluag’s slate, including Vice Mayor Brenz Gonzales and all ten councilors, won against Pineda-Cayabyab’s party.
On account of her loss and Caluag’s win, Pineda-Cayabyab filed the election protest against Caluag on May 22, 2025.
According to her legal counsel, Pineda-Cayabyab has not won in any of the precincts in the city, stating that it is “highly improbable,” while citing that despite her “vigorous campaign” and her inherent “political machinery,” the result were “not reflective of the will of our fellow Fernandinos.”
In response to the protest, Caluag said Pineda-Cayabyab has the right to file a complaint if dissatisfied with the election results and that she would await COMELEC’s official directives before taking any action.
As of writing, Caluag has not issued a statement following the poll body’s December 23 ruling.
