A GIANT THROUGH THE SUMMIT AND ABYSS: THE VICISSITUDE OF ANTONINOS IN GENRAL SANTOS CITY

The Antonino family is a well-known political figure in General Santos' local politics-they managed to hold elective office in the city for decades. The general content of this paper revolves around the rise and fall of the Antoninos in the local politics of General Santos. This study aims to understand the political life of the Antoninos and the various reasons behind it. As a case study, this paper gave insight into how a vast and influential political name would eventually have a slippage of power.

The study used a qualitative research design and applied a structured interview for the Key Informant Interview (KII). Five (5) current members of the political party AIM, five (5) loyalists of the Antonino, and one (1) former party member of the political party AIM were interviewed and supplemented the necessary data for this study.

The study found that the Antoninos had contributed to the expansion of General Santos' economy by implementing substantial infrastructure throughout their administration. However, in the 2013 election, a wide variety of factors favored the opposition. The presentation of a fresh face in politics was effective, and the coalition between the Pacquiaos and the Riveras in the opposition-all of which contributed to the Antoninos' slippage of power. The study also found a slim chance for the Antoninos to reinstate in the politics General Santos.