Incumbent Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte and other officials elected in the May 2025 midterm polls were sworn into office on Friday, June 27, 2025.

Baste took his oath as newly elected vice mayor in a ceremony witnessed by his sister, Vice President Sara Duterte, his mother Elizabeth Zimmerman, and other family members.

His father, former President Rodrigo Duterte who won the mayoral seat, is still detained at The Hague, Netherlands for alleged crimes against humanity charges before the International Criminal Court (ICC). However, if the former President will be unable to take his oath, Baste may assume the mayorship by virtue of the law of succession, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) said earlier.

In his message, Baste highlighted the city’s achievements over the past three years, including the steady increase in local income, from P5.1 billion in 2022 to P5.9 billion in 2024, along with growth in the city’s gross domestic product, tourist arrivals, and business registrations.

He also emphasized that Davao City remains insurgency-free and operates without debt.

“We will protect Davao City. Our policies are straightforward. Criminals are not welcome here. We are here to implement the law. We expect everyone to comply with the city’s laws and policies to ensure order in the communities. We will not compromise the future of our city for anyone’s personal interest,” Baste said.

Meanwhile, Third District Representative-elect Isidro Ungab and elected members of the 21st City Council from the three districts were also sworn into office.

The new City Council is set to introduce new legislations that would focus on health, peace and order, housing, food security, and digitalization.

The local government is also set to allocate sufficient budget for education, increase scholarship, and build more classrooms and learning facilities.