MANILA, Philippines – In an attempt to remain in power, 5 city mayors and 69 municipal mayors are seeking to switch places with their vice mayors in the 2013 local elections.

Rappler’s research shows that 52 of these mayors are currently on their third term. The 1987 Constitution prohibits them from running for a fourth term, so they seek the next highest post instead, even if this would mean a demotion. Their respective vice mayors are running to take their place in the city or town hall.

Nine of the 13 first-term mayors are giving way to vice mayors who were elected mayors in 2007. Of the 9 second-term mayors, only one is yielding to a vice mayor who was also mayor in 2004.

Out of the 74 mayor-vice mayor tandems, 40 are on the same ticket, with 18 running under the Liberal Party (LP) banner, 6 under the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) banner, 5 under the Nacionalista Party (NP) banner, and one under the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) banner.

LP, NP, NPC, and LDP are part of the administration’s coalition in this year’s polls.

Meanwhile, there are only 3 United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) mayor-vice mayor tickets, and one PDP-LABAN ticket on the list. PDP-LABAN belongs to the UNA coalition of the opposition, together with the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP).

In the remaining 34 tandems, the mayors and vice mayors do not belong to the same party, but still opted to run for each other’s posts in 2013. Of these, 16 were running-mates in the 2010 elections. – Rappler.com