A lackluster performance in Congress, his involvement in the committee investigating former President Rodrigo Duterte, as well as changing perceptions among voters – these are some of the factors political pundits see in the stunning fall from grace of Santa Rosa City Representative Dan Fernandez in the 2025 elections.
Once upon a time, actor and doctor Danilo Ramon Fernandez was seen as a rising political figure in Laguna province.
His long career as one of the province’s voices in Congress (as 1st District Representative from 2007 to 2016 and again from 2019 to 2022, after which he became the first representative of Santa Rosa City's at-large district) should have given him enough “credits” to advance his political career all the way to the provincial capitol and even beyond.
And yet, in the May 12 midterm elections, pundits were surprised by Fernandez’s apparent poor showing in the four-way gubernatorial race, after he placed third against the two closest competitors in the race: former 3rd District Representative Sol Aragones (who was declared the winner) and outgoing 2nd Representative Ruth Hernandez.
Not only that, his son, outgoing 1st District Board Member Danzel Fernandez, was roundly defeated in the race for Santa Rosa City’s congressional district by Councilor Roy Gonzales.
Overall loser
A quick check of election results by OpinYon Laguna’s research team showed just how dismal Fernandez performed in almost every town and city in the province.
He wasn’t even the first choice of voters in Santa Rosa City, his home turf, where Governor-elect Aragones topped the list with over 76,000 votes against over 53,000 votes for Fernandez.
It's ironic that the only town where Fernandez gained a majority is the town of Santa Maria in the mostly rural 4th district – and that, only because he secured the backing of the ruling political faction there.
As the popular social media saying goes, “Wat hafen?”
Poor performance in Congress?
As had been discussed by OpinYon Laguna in the past months, there has been speculation that Fernandez’s membership to the House QuadComm Committee, which had been investigating the alleged extrajudicial killings during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, that turned off most voters from him.
The so-called “Duterte Magic,” by the way, has also worked against the other members of the QuadComm Committee – outgoing Manila 6th District Representative Benny Abante and outgoing Abang Lingkod Partylist Representative Joseph Stephen Paduano, who failed in their bids to secure seats in Congress last May 12.
On the other hand, another member – Surigao Del Norte 2nd District Representative Robert "Ace" Barbers, who was in his third and last term – did not run in the 2025 elections.
There’s also the issue of his apparent poor performance in Congress when it comes to his main job of filing bills.
To recall, OpinYon Laguna had also pointed out that Representative Ruth Fernandez has filed a total of 523 legislative bills (348 principally authored, 175 co-authored), compared to Fernandez’s record of just 160 legislative bills (125 principally authored, 35 co-authored).
“Sa aking palagay ay na-turn off ang mga botante hindi lamang sa grandstanding ni Fernandez kundi pati na rin sa tila lackluster niyang performance bilang kongresista,” one political analyst who spoke on condition of anonymity told OpinYon Laguna.
Lack of support
This may have also been a factor in what insider sources have told OpinYon Laguna before the elections that some powerful political factions in the province have “quietly” withdrawn their support for Fernandez, even while carrying him in name only.
Sources have informed OpinYon Laguna that many of these political interests have noted with dismay Fernandez’s poor pre-election survey performance and have discreetly switched horses, either for Aragones or Hernandez.
“It’s also telling na hindi siya ang dinala ng mga Arcillas [the ruling political clan in Santa Rosa City] sa pagka-gobernador, at hindi rin ang anak niyang si Danzel ang dinala bilang congressman. Given that Fernandez had had a cozy relationship with the Arcillas clan before 2025, it’s likely na nagkaroon sila ng conflict sa kani-kanilang mga plano sa pulitika ngayong taon,” OpinYon’s resident political analyst pointed out.
'Star power' no longer a factor
There's also another factor that loomed large in Fernandez's defeat, according to some political analysts: the waning of the "star power" that had swayed voters in past decades.
Pundits have noted that in the 2025 elections, showbiz personalities are no longer guaranteed of a sure win in national and local polls as they are in the past.
With the gradual shift of the thinking of the electorate – particularly among the “youth vote” that had pushed up election turnout this year – voters are no longer swayed by star power.
This was evidenced not only by the defeat of Fernandez’s running mate Gem Castillo, another former actress, but also in the defeat of actor Anjo Yllana in his bid to become the vice mayor of Calamba City.
Yllana, a former political figure in Parañaque City, had been derided as a “transplanted” candidate recruited by the Chipeco family in their comeback bid against incumbent Mayor Ross Rizal’s “CalamBago” team.
Not to mention, of course, that at least three former entertainers – former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr., actor Phillip Salvador, and singer Jimmy Bondoc – failed to make it to the “Magic Twelve” in the senatorial race.
“Sa totoo lang, masasabi nating wala nang masyadong kinang ang showbiz pagdating sa ating pulitika,” OpinYon’s resident analyst posited.
“Kung may mga mga dating taga-showbiz na nanalo ngayong 2025, it’s either established na ang fan base nila, gaya ni Vilma Santos-Recto sa Batangas, or may napatunayan na rin sila pagdating sa public service,” he added.
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