President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declared March 14, 2026, a special non-working holiday across all barangays in Antipolo's 2nd District to enable voter participation in the special congressional election. Six candidates are vying for the House seat vacated by the late Romeo Acop. The Commission on Elections will conduct the vote manually.
Former congressman Romeo Acop passed away last month, leaving a vacancy in the House seat for Antipolo's 2nd District in Rizal province. This has prompted a special election on March 14, 2026, nearly three months after his death, as overseen by the Commission on Elections.
Six candidates have filed to run: Philip “Dok Bong” Acop, the late lawmaker's son and considered the frontrunner, under the National Unity Party. His opponents are all independents: Reden “Red” Llaga, Irvin Paulo “Paui” Tapales, Nathaniel “Atty. Nat” Lobigas, Maria Trinidad “Baby” Galang Cafirma, and Dandin “Dan” Infante. Llaga has received endorsements from allies of former President Rodrigo Duterte, including Ferdinand Topacio and Richard Mata.
At the start of the campaign season, Councilor Lorenzo Juan “LJ” Sumulong III also filed his candidacy but withdrew it after consultations with his Nationalist People’s Coalition party, Antipolo Mayor Casmiro “Jun” Ynares III, and Acop. “We believe that at this time, the stability of the government, continuous services, and the unity of the district are more important than any political conflict,” Sumulong stated in a Facebook post.
There are 242,793 registered voters across eight barangays: Calawis, Cupang, Dalig, Inarawan, San Jose, San Juan, San Luis, and San Roque. Voting will occur at 36 centers, mostly schools, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., with early voting for persons with disabilities and senior citizens from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. Unlike previous national elections, this special poll will be manual rather than automated, potentially delaying proclamation. Comelec Chairman George Garcia said in a DZMM interview that it might happen in the afternoon or evening of March 15. “The election returns will be canvassed one by one by the board of canvassers, as we have 348 clustered precincts,” Garcia explained. Voters must clearly write their chosen candidate's name on ballots, without shading or checking.
