Rex Mangubat

Raul Rex del Rosario Mangubat is a Filipino politician who served as vice mayor of Dasmariñas from 2016 to 2025. Currently an independent, he also served as a member of the Cavite Provincial Board from 2010 to 2016, and member of the Dasmariñas City Council from 2004 to 2010.

Early life Mangubat was born to former police general Dominador Mangubat Jr. and is the grandson of former Cavite governor Dominador I. Mangubat.

Early political career (2004–2016) Mangubat began his political career upon his election as a member of the Dasmariñas City Council in 2004 under the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) party, and was successfully re-elected in 2007 under Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (KAMPI). He emerged as the top-ranking councilor in consecutive elections.

In 2010, he ran for the Cavite Provincial Board under Lakas–CMD, representing the province's 4th district, which encompassed Dasmariñas. He was re-elected in 2013 under the National Unity Party (NUP), which was co-founded by Dasmariñas city mayor Elpidio Barzaga Jr.

Vice mayor of Dasmariñas (2016–2025) Mangubat ran and won as Barzaga Jr.'s running mate for vice mayor of Dasmariñas in the 2016 elections under the NUP ticket. When Barzaga Jr. ran for the House of Representatives in 2019, Mangubat was selected as his wife Jenny's running mate for vice mayor. He ran under the PDP–Laban banner and won. Mangubat sought a third term as vice mayor in 2022, rejoining the NUP, and won.

Congressional bid (2026) Jenny Barzaga's son, Kiko, ran for the city's congressional seat in the House of Representatives in 2025 and won. He was first suspended by the House for 60 days in December 2025 for repeated reckless social media behavior, before being suspended again in February 2026. He was expelled on June 2, 2026, by a vote of 261–14–8.

Mangubat was the first to file his certificate of candidacy (COC) for the special election held on August 29, 2026 to fill the vacant seat, in which he ran as an independent against incumbent Dasmariñas mayor Jenny Barzaga, former city councilor Jesse Frani, and two other independent candidates. Mangubat ran on a platform of support for the anti-political dynasty bill, local healthcare reform, and improvements to city-wide water supply services.

Mangubat was defeated by Barzaga by a wide margin, receiving only 30,373 of the 258,371 votes cast.

Electoral history + Electoral history of Rex Mangubat Year Office Party Votes received Result Total % . Swing 2004 Councilor (Dasmariñas) PMP 1st 2007 KAMPI 1st 2010 Provincial Board Member (Cavite–4th) Lakas 93,597 32.39% 1st 2013 NUP 97,019 48.96% 2nd +16.57 2016 Vice Mayor of Dasmariñas 123,242 54.74% 1st 2019 PDP–Laban 178,627 77.33% 1st +22.59 2022 NUP 139,320 45.88% 1st −31.45 2026 Representative (Cavite–4th) Independent 30,373 11.76% 2nd