As the clock ticks toward the noon deadline on June 30, uncertainty surrounds whether former President Rodrigo Duterte, now in detention at the International Criminal Court (ICC), can be sworn in as mayor of Davao City.
This rare situation puts the city on the brink of having no sitting mayor at the helm for the first time.
Vice President Sara Duterte, speaking during the oath-taking ceremony of newly elected city officials, acknowledged the unusual turn of events. “We don’t have any discussion about his absence; maybe it was already expected because of his situation right now,” she said. “He is currently detained; there’s no other feeling except accepting the fact that he’d not be present in this oath-taking.”
The elder Duterte, who was elected mayor once again, faces charges of crimes against humanity over his administration’s brutal anti-drug campaign, which claimed thousands of lives from his time as city mayor to his presidency.
Should the former president fail to take his oath by the noon cutoff, his son and vice mayor-elect, Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, will automatically step in as acting mayor, confirmed the Vice President. “In the event that he does not take his oath, it will be Vice Mayor Baste Duterte who will be the acting mayor,” she said.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), according to her, is unlikely to intervene, noting its role in such matters is purely ministerial.
At Friday’s ceremonies, the Duterte family showed a strong political grip on the city, with Paolo Duterte taking a seat as representative of the first district, his son Omar representing the second district, and Paolo’s wife, January, leading the Association of Barangay Captains — giving her a spot in the city council. If Baste moves up to acting mayor, the next in line for vice mayor would be Rodrigo Duterte II, Paolo’s son, who garnered the highest votes among city councilors.
Vice President Duterte also took a jab at Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla over his comment that the Philippine justice system failed the victims of extrajudicial killings. “Is that an admission that the justice system is not functioning?” she asked.
Despite the intense political atmosphere, the Vice President remained coy about any 2028 presidential run. “It’s still too early to say who would win in the presidential race,” she said, but praised the midterm election results as an endorsement of her family’s leadership. “I hope and pray that he (Rodrigo) will take his oath because I voted for him. I wanted him to be the mayor of Davao City. That’s my prayer.”
