Old yet new: Davao City elects first absentee mayor

Former President Rodrigo Duterte speaks on Thursday at the proclamation rally for the senatorial candidates of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban). —Photo by Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — For the first time in its 88-year history, this city will have a mayor who is based in The Hague, the Netherlands, detained at a facility of the International Criminal Court (ICC), where internet access is restricted.

As expected, former President Rodrigo Duterte won the mayoralty by a landslide, his 662,630 votes making up 83.3 percent of the total votes cast.

His sons Sebastian and Paolo, as well as grandsons Omar and Rodrigo II, also won key positions in the city, which means practically all key local positions—from the mayor, vice mayor, first and second district representatives—will be occupied by a Duterte.

Supporters cheered as Duterte, 80, was proclaimed winner in absentia by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Board of Canvassers past 3 p.m. on Tuesday.

READ: Sara Duterte disappointed; vows to build ‘powerful opposition’

His challenger, former Civil Service Commission (CSC) Secretary Karlo Nograles, got 80,852 votes, or about 10 per cent of the total votes cast.

Nograles noted in a brief interview on the eve of the elections that it would be the first time for Davao City to have an absentee mayor should Duterte win.

“It has not yet been tried before,” he said.

Rodrigo’s eldest daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, told reporters on Monday that it was clear under the Local Government Code that the vice mayor—Sebastian, in Davao’s case—would take over should the mayor remain unable to discharge his duties.

Since Duterte’s grandson and namesake Rodrigo II, won the highest number of votes in the first legislative district of the City Council, he will take over as acting vice mayor once his uncle, Sebastian, becomes acting mayor.

Despite that video

Rodrigo II and Omar’s father, Paolo Duterte, was reelected as first district congressman with an overwhelming 203,557 votes.

This was despite the video that went viral days before the elections showing him threatening a local businessman with a knife.

Paolo’s opponent, Migs Nograles, garnered 49,186 votes, while another contender Mags Maglana, who campaigned against political dynasty, got only 3,530 votes.

Rodrigo Duterte’s grandson Omar won with 160,432 votes to secure the House seat for the second congressional district.

In the third district, Duterte ally Isidro Ungab won as congressman with 178,721 votes.

Paolo’s wife, January, will also be entitled to a city council seat—as president of the Association of Barangay Captains. /cb