WATCH: Romualdez and VP Sara Duterte’s proxy battle in Batangas congressional race

Rappler reporter Dwight de Leon visits Lobo, Batangas to better understand the election landscape in one of the towns represented by Gerville Luistro, the breakout star of 19th Congress

Can a congressional race in Batangas be a litmus test of public approval of the House’s impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte and its inquiry into the controversies faced by former president Rodrigo Duterte?

Rappler reporter Dwight de Leon and production specialist Leone Requilman visit Lobo, Batangas — one of the six towns that make up Batangas’ 2nd District — to better understand the election landscape in one of the constituencies of Representative Gerville Luistro, the breakout star of the congressional probes.

Luistro is being challenged by her predecessor Raneo Abu, whose daughter lost to the congresswoman in 2022. The patriarch served the district for nine years until he became term-limited, and is now seeking a comeback to deny Luistro a second term.

As this report tells us, the race has seemingly become a proxy battle between their bickering backers — Speaker Martin Romualdez and Vice President Sara Duterte. – Rappler.com