(This story is part of a series of election reports examining political dynasties in Western Visayas.)
“Ang pwesto sa gobyerno bukot burugasan, bukot paranubli-un.”
(A government position is not a livelihood, nor is it an inheritance.)
These words from former Antique Governor Evelio Javier’s 1980s campaign still echo across Panay Island, especially every February 11. Yet, as the 2025 elections near, the rise of political dynasties casts doubt on whether his ideals endure — especially in Antique.
Paolo Everardo Javier, Evelio’s nephew, is staging a political comeback as he vies for the gubernatorial seat of Antique in the midterm elections.
His bid will not be uncontested. He faces strong competition from incumbent Vice Governor Edgar Denosta and independent candidates Vicente Fedelicio, Rodelo Pidoy, Rudy Bantolo, and Gaspar Gayona.
Paolo was a former representative of Antique’s lone district for three terms, from 2010 to 2019. In 2022, he ran for Congress but significantly lost to Antonio Agapito “AA” Legarda Jr., the brother of then-outgoing congresswoman and now Senator Loren Legarda.
Politics runs in the Javier bloodline. Exequiel Bellaflor Javier, Paolo’s father and Evelio’s younger brother, served a total of eight years as Antique governor from 1998 to 2001 and 2010 to 2015.
His second term was cut short in 2015 when he was removed from office in 2015 by the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Commission on Elections for violating election laws.
Exequiel also served as Antique’s lone district representative from 1987 to 1998 and again from 2001 to 2010, totaling 20 years in Congress.
- Tobias Javier, Exequiel’s nephew, is also no stranger to politics. He was elected Provincial Board member of Antique’s southern district from 2007 to 2016.
In 2017, J. Tobias was appointed associate commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) by former President Rodrigo Duterte. He later became one of BI’s deputy commissioners until 2022.
EVELIO’S LEGACY
Thirty-nine years after his assassination, Evelio remains a towering figure in Antique’s political history — a martyr whose sacrifice became a rallying cry for democracy.
Evelio was only 28 years old when he became the governor of Antique in 1971, making him the youngest provincial leader in the country at the time. He served three consecutive terms until 1980.
In 1984, he ran for a seat in the Regular Batasang Pambansa to represent Antique’s lone district. It was a tumultuous electoral process marred by violence and alleged fraud.
On the morning of February 11, 1986, masked gunmen assassinated him in front of the Antique capitol building.
His brutal murder during the snap elections under the Marcos regime galvanized resistance against the dictatorship and fueled the People Power Revolution weeks later, which ousted Ferdinand Marcos and installed Corazon Aquino as president.
Months after his death, on September 22, 1986, the Supreme Court posthumously declared Evelio the rightful winner of the 1984 parliamentary elections.
February 11 is now marked as Governor Evelio B. Javier Day, a special non-working public holiday in the provinces of Antique, Aklan, Capiz, and Iloilo.
JAVIER-CADIAO RELATIONSHIP
Incumbent and last-termer Antique governor Rhodora Cadiao is a distant relative of the Javier family based on her ancestral roots in the province.
Rhodora was born to Josue Lacson Cadiao, who served as governor of Antique from 1955 to 1963, and Lolita Solis Javier, a former vice governor. Her maternal grandmother, Esperanza Solis-Javier — who previously served as mayor of Culasi, Antique — was the first-ever female mayor in the province.
Rhodora was elected vice governor of Antique from 2004 to 2010 and again from 2013 to 2015. When Exequiel was removed from governorship in 2015, Rhodora assumed the role for over a year.
In 2016, in a dramatic face-off against Exequiel, Rhodora emerged victorious, unseating the longtime governor.
Now, as her term nears its end, she is vying for the lone district representative seat of Antique in the 2025 midterm elections, facing a tough challenge from AA Legarda Jr., her former ally who is seeking re-election.
Rhodora said the fallout with AA Legarda stems from the latter’s “narcissistic” and “dictatorship” type of leadership, which she claims has deepened divisions in Antique’s political landscape.
She further accused AA Legarda of intimidating and coercing her allies to defect and support his candidacy.
As another election cycle looms, a question resurfaces: Has the province upheld the ideals Evelio fought and died for, or has his legacy been overshadowed by dynastic politics — ironically by his own family?
