Asenso Manileño, the ruling party in Manila headed by Mayor Honey Lacuna as its President, had been declared as one of the only 14 local parties to have been accredited as dominant majority party for the 2025 midterm polls.
The Comelec decision was welcomed by Lacuna and partymates, saying: “All of us on the Asenso Manileño slate for the May 2025 elections are joyful and proud of being accredited once more by the Commission on Elections.The enduring strength of Asenso Manileño as the ruling local political party here in Manila is proof of our collective commitment to community-oriented genuine public service.”
“We are the exact opposite of the personality cult centered around the former mayor. Hindi kami kulto. We are not the choice of merely one person. Manileños chose us,” the mayor said, adding that Asenso Manileño stands by its principles ‘because we represent our constituents.”
According to Lacuna, their pary believes in public service that is inclusive, transparent and accountable—”one that prioritizes real solutions over political drama or ‘pakulo,’ adding that her administration is driven by the people’s mandate, not personal ambition.
“Our party upholds good governance, honesty and fairness, ensuring that every program and project benefits Manileños directly. We are not puppets of a has-been celebrity or a political cult. All Asenso Manileño bets are servants of the people. Our commitment is clear: Serbisyong diretso sa tao – Tapat at Totoo! ,” she declared.
Prior to this, the Comelec declared the Lakas–Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) headed by House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez as its President , as the dominant majority party for the 2025 National and Local Elections (NLE).
Lacuna is a member of the LAKAS-CMD, having been sworn into the pary by Romualdez himself., with five of Manila’s six congressmen, namely Rep. Joel R. Chua, Rep. Bienvenido Abante, Jr, Rep. Rolando Valeriano, Rep. Irwin Tieng and Rep. Edward Maceda, standing as witnesses, along with Vice Mayor Yul Servo.
When she took the oath in August last year, Lacuna stressed that she joined the Lakas-CMD “because its party principles and platform are aligned with mine and will ultimately be most gainful for all Manileños.”
Romualdez warmly welcomed Lacuna to the fold of Lakas-CMD, saying the party is honored to have her, as he also expressed confidence that the lady mayor “would provide significant contributions in upholding the principles and objectives of Lakas-CMD, reinforcing the party’s dedication to serving the Filipino people.”
He also cited Lacuna’s leadership, experience and commitment to serve her constituents and “greatly enhance our collective efforts to support the Agenda for Prosperity of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and his vision for ‘Bagong Pilipinas.’
Lacuna made history by becoming the first woman mayor in the city of Manila in 2022, winning with a very wide margin over her opponents who belonged to big political clans in the city.
In the 2022 local elections, Lacuna led the Asenso Manileño slate in making a clean sweep, by winning all elective seats from the mayor, vice mayor, Congressmen and city councilors.
