1980 Makati local elections

1980 Makati mayoral election

January 30, 1980 (1980-01-30)

Nominee Nemesio Yabut Alexander Villalon Eddie Ilarde Party KBL National Union for Liberation KBL Alliance KBL National Union for Liberation Running mate Johnny S. Wilson Ernesto F. Ventura Popular vote 194,471 17,163 15,004

Mayor before election Nemesio I. Yabut Sr. Liberal Elected mayor Nemesio I. Yabut Sr. KBL

Vice mayoral election

Candidate Johnny Wilson Ernesto F. Ventura Party KBL National Union for Liberation Alliance KBL National Union for Liberation Popular vote 189,494 6,492

Vice Mayor before election Johnny S. Wilson Liberal Elected Vice Mayor Johnny S. Wilson KBL

Local elections was held in the Municipality of Makati on January 30, 1980, within the 1980 Philippine local elections, during the Philippine Martial Law years of the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos The voters elected for the elective local posts in the town: the mayor, vice mayor, and the eight-member local municipal council. This was the first election under Martial Law. The elections for the national and local positions were not conducted simultaneously, as the national elections (including Makati's lone district) were held in 1978, and later, in 1984.

Background

KBL's candidate, Nemesio "Mesio" I. Yabut Sr. was the incumbent municipal mayor of Makati, having been elected in 1971, where he defeated then incumbent mayor Jose C. Luciano. He then became closely allied with President Marcos and later defected from the Liberal Party and joined the newly-formed Kilusang Bagong Lipunan political party founded by the president. The municipality of Makati was then under the jurisdiction of the 1st congressional district of the Province of Rizal until 1975, when Metro Manila was formed, and Makati was included therein.

Yabut's challengers for mayor were Alexander Villalon of the National Union for Liberation (NUL) and Region IV Assemblyman Edgar "Eddie" Ilarde. At the time, main opposition groups like the Liberal Party (Philippines), Lakas ng Bayan, had little to no participation in the 1980 Philippine local elections. As such, they weren't able to field candidates in most local positions up for election.

Results

Mayor

Incumbent mayor Nemesio "Mesio" I. Yabut Sr. won against Alexander Villalon and incumbent assemblyman Eddie Ilarde in a landslide.

1980 Makati mayoral election

Candidate		Party	Votes	%
	Nemesio "Mesio" I. Yabut Sr.	Kilusang Bagong Lipunan	194,471	85.81
	Alexander "Alex" J. Villalon	National Union for Liberation	17,163	7.57
	Edgar "Eddie" U. Ilarde	Kilusang Bagong Lipunan	15,004	6.62
Total			226,638	100.00
	KBL gain from Liberal
Source: Philippine Commission on Elections

Vice Mayor

Actor Johnny Wilson won against NUL's Ernesto Ventura.

1980 Makati vice mayoral election

Candidate		Party	Votes	%
	Johnny S. Wilson	Kilusang Bagong Lipunan	189,494	96.69
	Ernesto F. Ventura	National Union for Liberation	6,492	3.31
Total			195,986	100.00
	KBL gain from Liberal
Source: Philippine Commission on Elections

Municipal Council

All eight Makati municipal council positions were won by KBL candidates.

Municipal Council election at Makati's lone district

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	KBL	Augusto "Chiquito" V. Pangan Sr.
	KBL	Joseph Leroy R. Salvador
	KBL	Roberto "Bobby" G. Brillante Sr.
	KBL	Tomas A. Baluyut
	KBL	Dolores M. Rivera
	KBL	Michael M. Joseph
	KBL	Elena B. Maccay
	KBL	Ruperto Gaite

Source: Philippine Commission on Elections

Aftermath

Mayor Yabut will serve as municipal mayor until his death on February 25, 1986, which coincided with the last day of 1986 People Power Revolution, which ousted President Ferdinand Marcos, Mayor Yabut's patron, from power. President Corazon Aquino, who replaced Marcos, appointed lawyer Jejomar Binay as OIC Mayor of Makati two days after Yabut's death, on February 27, 1986. Some of Yabut's relatives also entered politics, such as his sons Ricardo "Ricky", who ran for Makati Mayor twice, in 1988 and in 2019; Nemesio "King" Yabut Jr., who became Makati 2nd district councilor; and Nemesio Arturo "Toro' Yabut III (who became Vice Mayor of Makati).