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Davao (Agenzia Fides) - Rodrigo Duterte, the former president of the Philippines, indicted for crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court, has been elected mayor of Davao, the city on the island of Mindanao where his political career began and where he served as mayor for more than 20 years before being elected president in 2016.
Following yesterday's vote, May 12, in the mid-term elections in the Philippines, which elect the House of Representatives, part of the Senate, and local governments, Duterte was officially declared the winner today, May 13, by the Davao Electoral Council, receiving an overwhelming majority: over 660,000 preferences compared to 80,000 for his opponent, Karlo Nograles, among others, his former spokesman.
The position of mayor of Davao is Duterte's first official post since the end of his term as president. He previously held the office from February 1988 to June 1998, from July 2001 to June 2010, and then from July 2013 to June 2016. The Duterte family has held this office for 34 years, as Duterte's children succeeded him. Today, his son, Sebastian Duterte, was elected deputy mayor. Duterte's son entered politics in 2019 and served as mayor from 2022 to 2025. He succeeded his sister Sara, who ran for and was later elected Vice President of the Philippines. She has held the office to this day.
The mid-term elections are crucial for the Duterte family, as they consolidate their control over the city of Davao for the next three years. Duterte's arrest in March was seen as a factor that could have either a negative or positive impact on the family's image. Duterte's victory was a testament to his continued popularity among the Filipino people, both locally and nationally. It is worth noting that at least five candidates backed by the Duterte dynasty are running for 12 Senate seats, and according to initial projections, they appear to have a chance of winning.
The outcome of the Senate election will be crucial in the case of Vice President Sara Duterte, against whom the Lower House of Parliament has voted to impeach on a range of charges, including misuse of public funds and conspiracy to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos.
The Senate will be asked to confirm or reject the charges in a vote scheduled for next July. Sara Duterte is considered a serious candidate for the 2028 presidential race, but if the Senate confirms the charges, she will be permanently barred from public office. The official results of the mid-term elections will be announced in a week. Meanwhile, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Elections, a monitoring body born within the Catholic Church in the Philippines, actively monitors and oversees electoral transparency at the service of citizens and the entire nation. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 13/5/2025)
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