Eleksyon 2025: Rodrigo Duterte proclaimed Davao City mayor

DAVAO CITY — Detention in The Hague, Netherlands did not stop former President Rodrigo Duterte from securing another term as Davao City mayor as he won a landslide victory in the 2025 midterm elections.

Based on the official city canvass report, Duterte garnered 662,630 votes—far from Atty. Karlo Nograles' 80,852.

Duterte was proclaimed as the newly elected mayor before 4 p.m. Tuesday.

The former president's son, Sebastian "Baste" Duterte, led the vice mayoral race with 651,356 votes—a huge margin from his top contender Bernie Al-Ag with 78,893 votes.

With Rodrigo currently detained by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, The Netherlands, he is expected to act as an absentee mayor. This means that Baste, as the vice mayor, will be the acting mayor and assume the duties of his father, based on the Local Government Code.

To recall, Rodrigo was arrested in the Philippines by local authorities on March 11, based on a warrant of arrest issued by the ICC.

He is now in the Scheveningen Prison in The Hague on charges of crimes against humanity for the extrajudicial killings during his administration's war on drugs.

His daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte said Monday that lawyers have been discussing the next steps should he win the elections.

"'Yun ay pinag-uusapan namin ng kanyang ICC lawyer at ng kanyang Philippine lawyer kung paano siya maka-oath as a winner ng mayoral contest dito sa Davao City," the Vice President said.

(We are discussing with his ICC lawyer and his Philippine lawyer how he can take his oath of office after perhaps winning the mayoral race here in Davao City.)

"Sabi ng lawyer doon sa ICC, once we get the proclamation papers, pag-uusapan namin ulit kung paano makapag-oath si dating Pangulo Rodrigo Duterte. We have until the day after proclamation until… noon of June 30 para siya maka-oath," she added.

(The ICC lawyer said that once we get the proclamation papers, we will discuss again how former President Rodrigo Duterte can take his oath. He has to take an oath between the day after proclamation until noon of June 30.)

All in the family

As for the congressional race, Paolo "Pulong" Duterte also won again as 1st district representative with 203,557 votes. His rival, incumbent House Deputy Majority Leader Margarita "Migs" Nograles, only got 49,186 votes.

Rodrigo's eldest grandson Omar also secured his victory in the 2nd district and is set to join his father Pulong in the House of Representatives with 160,432 votes, versus Javi Garcia Campos' 90,156.

In the 3rd district, Isidro Ungab, an ally of the Duterte family, is set to be reelected congressman with 178,721 votes. His closest contender was Nonoy Al-Ag with 30,687 votes.

Pulong's other son Rodrigo "Rigo" Duterte II was also the top councilor in Davao City's 1st district, getting 192,324 votes. — VDV, GMA Integrated News

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