This election cycle has seen more families going up against each other, or may have goals that are not aligned. From Makati to Las Pinas, the Cayetanos of Taguig have their own family drama too. Former Taguig Mayor Lino Cayetano is not being endorsed by brother, Senator Allan Peter, and his wife, the incumbent Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano, in his quest to represent the Taguig- Pateros district. But Lino still has hopes to get the support of his brother — even up to the last minute.
Lino had a 2-hour talk with the members of the entertainment press, among his main stakeholders in the industry that he has grown to love, for a heart-to-heart discussion about his future in public service, as a filmmaker, his goals for the people of Taguig-Pateros and his dreams for the entertainment industry should he wins a seat in Congress.
“As a representative, I will now have the opportunity to craft policies that will be beneficial to our industry. This is aside from trying to attend to the needs of the people in my district,” he said.
This won’t be Lino’s first taste of Congress. The younger Cayetano has served as Taguig second district representative from 2016 to 2019. This was before he ran and won for Taguig Mayor in 2019 to 2022. He took a break from politics to give way to his sister-in-law’s return to the mayoralty post in 2022. Now, it is his time to return to politics, trying to be a Congressman again but in the Taguig-Pateros district or what is known commonly as Taguig’s first district.
The sad truth is that he had not earned his brother’s support. Reportedly, Senator Allan and Mayor Lani are visiting Taguig and Pateros barangays with the incumbent and Lino’s opponent, Representative Ading Cruz. However, Lino is hopeful that at least before the campaign season ends, he will still get the elder Cayetano’s endorsement.
“Maybe we don’t have the same approach. But I think at the end of the day, kaming magkakapatid, Ate Pia, Kuya Allan, silang mga nasa politika, I think we share the same values. Iba lang ‘yung approach namin,” Lino declined to divulge details of his family’s political misalignment. He can only remain hopeful. “I hope that we can all trust each other, that we are all competent and that we are all capable — and that we allow each other to do so.”
“Tingin ko sa isang libong isyu, siguro mga tatlo o apat ang mga hindi namin napagkakasunduan. Pero ‘yung iba magkakasundo kami. Di man kami masyadong nag uusap ngayon, I pray that after the elections, maayos ding lahat,” Lino said in a respectful tone. “Siguro parang kulturang Pilipino… kuya, pag di ka sumunod, may tampo. Baka ganun. Pero sakin, may mga bagay na mas importante minsan, kaysa sa opinyon ng iyong kapatid. And more important than that is gusto kong pag serbisyohan ang mga Taguig at Pateros.”
Lino has presented himself to be a progressive candidate, bannering his political promises to sustainability and support for the entertainment industry. His new horror movie ‘The Caretakers’, which stars Iza Calzado and Dimples Romana and will be in cinemas nationwide starting February 26, is the first zero waste- certified production. He and his team has made sure that waste from the filming is reduced with efforts to recycle and eliminate the need to add disposable elements to landfills.
For entertainment, he aims to bolster specifically the cinema industry, via government subsidies. “Example, isang libong piso sana mapanood na ‘yung sampung pelikula sa MMFF (Metro Manila Film Festival). Di lang natin ibaba ang presyo for moviegoers, we also have to incentivize the mall owners and cinema owners para hindi maapektuhan ‘yung mga kita nila. I think there is a way and there is a formula,” he cited.
In serving directly the people of Taguig and Pateros, Lino repeatedly discussed on how he made previously impossible things in the government possible, citing his experience as a pandemic mayor. “Yung mga natutunan ko nung pandemic na pwede pa lang solusyunan ng mabilis. Nakita ko na kung isantabi ang politika, kung magtulungan tayo, pwede ‘yung mabilis na solusyon sa mga problema natin,” he said.
A huge part of Lino’s challenge in mounting his campaign as an independent candidate is facing a strong political machinery. He shared the proliferation of fake news to destroy his reputation, and also the use of trolls on social media. “Hindi ko alam kung sino ang gumagawa. Palagay ko hindi kapatid ko. Hindi pamilya ko.”
As the campaign season rolls out on March 28 for local positions, Lino Cayetano knows that it will not be easy. “I had stepped aside twice for Mayor Lani, in 2022 and now in 2025. I gave way na ‘wag na mag Mayor. So I decided to run for Congress now with or without their support. Medyo masalimuot. But I am hoping and praying that after the elections is makita nila that we are still family.”