Celso Regencia

Celso Regencia
Official portrait, 2025
Member of Philippine House of Representatives for Iligan's at-large district
Incumbent
Assumed office June 30, 2022
Preceded by	Frederick Siao
Mayor of Iligan
In office June 30, 2013 – June 30, 2022
Vice Mayor	Jemar Vera Cruz (2016–2022) Ruderic Marzo (2013–2016)
Preceded by	Lawrence Cruz
Succeeded by	Frederick Siao
Personal details
Born	Celso Gomera Regencia (1961-01-09) January 9, 1961 Kolambugan, Lanao del Norte, Philippines
Party	Lakas (2022–present) United Iligan (local party; 2023–present)
Other political affiliations	PDP–Laban (2019–2022) NPC (2016–2019) NUP (2013–2016)
Spouse	Marissa Jimenez
Children	5
Nickname	Reggie
Police career
Service	Philippine National Police
Rank	Senior Superintendent

Celso Gomera Regencia (born January 9, 1961) is a Filipino retired police officer and politician who has served as the representative for Iligan's at-large congressional district in the Philippine House of Representatives since 2022. Currently a member of Lakas–CMD, he previously served as mayor of Iligan from 2013 to 2022.

Career

Police career

Regencia graduated as a member of the Philippine National Police Academy Tagapaglingkod Class of 1987. Prior to entering public office, he served in the Philippine National Police, holding the rank of Police Senior Superintendent.

Mayor of Iligan (2013–2022)

Official portrait as mayor of Iligan

Regencia was elected mayor of Iligan in 2013 under the National Unity Party. In January 2015, he was accused of being behind the ambush of former representative Vicente Belmonte Jr. and was detained on charges of murder and frustrated murder after surrendering to authorities in October of the same year. The Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 77 later acquitted him on January 25, 2017, after the Department of Justice ordered the withdrawal of all charges filed in court, finding insufficient evidence and lack of probable cause to indict him and his nine co-accused.

In March 2015, Regencia was suspended from office for six months for alleged abuse of authority following a complaint filed against him by the city's Sangguniang Panlungsod. He successfully ran for a second term in 2016 under the Nationalist People's Coalition, and for a third term in 2019 under PDP–Laban.

During his final term as mayor, the Iligan City Wet Park, a public civic park, was opened and was cited as one of the major accomplishments of his administration.

House of Representatives (2022–present)

2022 and 2025 elections

Regencia ran for Iligan's at-large congressional district in 2022, winning against Belmonte, who was endorsed by incumbent representative Frederick Siao, by a margin of 5,000 votes. He was re-elected in 2025.

Tenure

Regencia filed various bills in the 20th Congress seeking to declare ecotourism sites and tourist destinations.

He was among the 215 representatives who signed the first impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte in 2025, and later voted in favor of her impeachment in 2026.

Committee membership

• Committee on Dangerous Drugs (Vice Chair)
• Committee on Legislative Franchises (Vice Chair)
• Committee on Mindanao Affairs (Vice Chair)
• Committee on Agriculture and Food
• Committee on Appropriations
• Committee on Games and Amusements
• Committee on Health
• Committee on Public Order and Safety
• Committee on Public Works and Highways
• Committee on Social Services
• Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms
• Committee on Tourism

Electoral history

Electoral history of Celso Regencia

Year	Office	Party				Votes received				Result
		Local		National		Total	%	P.	Swing
2013	Mayor of Iligan	—N/a			NUP	43,586	44.43	1st	—N/a	Won
2016					NPC	68,995	58.51%	1st	+14.08	Won
2019					PDP–Laban	74,835	56.04%	1st	-2.47	Won
2022	Representative (Iligan at-large)					75,426	51.76%	1st	—N/a	Won
2025			United Iligan		Lakas	74,818	49.34%	1st	-2.42	Won