Mark Anthony Santos

Mark Anthony Gayoso Santos (born June 14, 1963) is a Filipino politician who is the representative for Las Piñas's at-large district, serving since 2025. Before being elected to Congress, he had served as a member of Las Piñas's city council from 2022 to 2025 and previously from 2010 to 2019.

As a councilor, Santos was a vocal critic of the dominant Villar family in local congressional politics. In the 2025 Philippine House of Representatives election, he defeated Senator Cynthia Villar in a result described by several media outlets as a major electoral upset.

Early life and career

Santos completed his elementary education at Las Piñas Elementary School-Central in Las Piñas. He attended Saint Joseph Academy in Las Piñas for his secondary education. He then pursued higher education at Adamson University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Las Piñas City Council

Elections

Santos was first elected to the Las Piñas City Council in 2010. He was reelected in 2013 and 2016 and was term-limited by 2019.

Tenure

During his tenure as councilor, he was vocal about issues affecting the city, particularly regarding development projects and alleged illegal operations within the city.

Santos was supportive of the Manila Dolomite Beach project in 2020 and was critical of the Villar family's opposition to the reclamation project, suggesting that their resistance was motivated by business interests rather than environmental concerns.

He claimed that the project's delay was due to the Villar family's influence on the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB), which was responsible for issuing clearance certificates. He publicly questioned the environmental impact claims made by Senator Villar regarding the Manila Bay reclamation project, arguing that the Villar family's real estate interests were the primary motivation for their opposition.

In October 2024, Santos called for an investigation into what he described as a "mysterious death" of an employee at an allegedly illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) facility in Vista Malls. He claimed that the operation was connected to Michael Yang, a former presidential economic adviser to Rodrigo Duterte.

House of Representatives

Election

Santos ran as an independent candidate for Las Piñas's at-large district in the May 2025 election, challenging Senator Cynthia Villar, whose family had maintained significant political influence in Las Piñas for decades. In November 2024, media reported an incident where Villar allegedly confronted Santos during a Mass celebration at Our Lady of Fatima church in Philamlife Village, Pamplona Dos, Las Piñas. The confrontation was reportedly witnessed by Vice Mayor April Aguilar (Villar's niece), who was described as being "taken aback" by the incident. Mayor Imelda Aguilar, the vice mayor's mother and Villar's sister-in-law, subsequently endorsed Santos.

Santos defeated Villar in an upset victory, garnering 115,757 votes to Villar's 83,975. He was proclaimed as the representative-elect on May 13, 2025, becoming the first individual outside the Villar family to represent the city in Congress.

Tenure

Santos was sworn in as a member of the 20th Congress on June 27, 2025, taking office three days later in accordance with the Constitution. He has expressed interest in pursuing legislation establishing a second congressional district for Las Piñas.

Personal life

Santos is married to Joanne E. Santos.

References

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Members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from Las Piñas
Filipino city and municipal councilors
Adamson University alumni
People from Las Piñas
21st-century Filipino politicians
Independent politicians in the Philippines
1963 births
Living people