The future of Dutertes, Davao City after the dynasty’s 2025 landslide wins

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Davao City has just elected its first “absentee” mayor.

Former president Rodrigo Duterte overwhelmingly won over his former Cabinet secretary and acting spokesperson, Karlo Nograles in the high stakes 2025 Davao City local elections.

Based on Davao City board of canvassers’ final vote counts, the former mayor received a total 662,630 votes — over half of the one million voters in the city. Nograles, son of late former speaker Prospero Nograles, only received 80,852.

The patriarch is leading his family that has emerged as big winners in the local polls. All Duterte family members — including two grandchildren — have swept their respective races via landslide wins.

In the vice mayoral race, outgoing mayor Sebastian Duterte secured 651,356 votes, compared to the far second placer Bernie Al-ag‘s 78,893.

Reelectionist 1st District Representative Paolo Duterte secured his third and last term with 203,557 votes. He defeated PBA Representative Migs Nograles who had 49,186, and development worker Mags Maglana who secured 3,530 votes.

In the 2nd District race, Paolo’s son Omar Vincent Duterte won by over 70,000 votes against opponent, incumbent councilor Javi Garcia Campos. The younger Duterte received 160,432 votes, while Campos got 90,156.

Of the competitive races involving the Dutertes, Omar and Campos’ face-off was the closest as the bet from the Garcia dynasty long-entrenched in Davao City secured winnings in at least four barangays in the 2nd District.

Meanwhile, the newest addition to the list of Duterte family members who’s in politics — Rodrigo II or Rigo — topped the council race in the 1st District. He garnered 192,324 votes, edging out outgoing Vice Mayor Melchor Quitain Jr. in the top spot.

‘Absentee mayor’

During Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod’s miting de avance on May 9 in Davao City, the Duterte family displayed confidence about their chances in the polls. Duterte’s youngest Veronica even said that she was told by his father that he’s “excited to return” as the city mayor.

Aspiration became reality and the former president, detained in The Hague, Netherlands over his crimes against humanity case, was elected by Davao City as its mayor for the eighth time. Despite being detained due to his drug war that killed nearly 30,000 people, according to human rights groups’ tallies, Duterte was still proclaimed as winner in the mayor race.

The rest of his family had been proclaimed, too. Omar and Rigo attended the ceremony inside the city’s Sangguniang Panlungsod, while Paolo and Sebastian skipped the event.

The country’s Omnibus Election Code states that a person can only be disqualified from being a candidate, holding any public office, or from voting, if that person has been declared “insane or incompetent, or has been sentenced by final judgment for subversion, insurrection, rebellion or for any offense for which he has been sentenced to a penalty of more than eighteen months or for a crime involving moral turpitude.”

Since Duterte’s trial is still at the early stages, he was still able to run and win, as he had yet to be convicted of any crime.

“Hanggang walang final judgment ng conviction ang isang tao, siya’y makakaboto at siya ay maiboboto (Until there’s no final judgment in the conviction of a person, the person can still vote and be elected),” Commission on Elections Chairman George Erwin Garcia said during an episode of the Rappler series “Ask Your Comelec.”

Another Duterte-Duterte scenario

Now that Duterte has won, the complicated part begins. There are some questions about how he will take his oath as an elected official and serve his constituents.

Vice President Sara Duterte said on Monday, May 12, that her father’s lawyers are discussing their options on how Duterte can take his oath as a winning candidate. As for the fulfillment of his duties, the Department of the Interior and Local Government has a rule: “Winning vice mayor will become ‘acting mayor’ [until] the winning mayor is able to assume duties,” Interior Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla told Rappler.

Since Duterte is away, Sebastian will lead the city again for another three years in an acting capacity. And since the vice mayor will be the city’s officer-in-charge, the top councilor will step up and serve as acting vice mayor to preside over the city council.

Davao City is divided into three districts so there are three top councilors in the race: Rigo (1st District), Diosdado Mahipus (2nd District), and Alberto Ungab (2nd District). In this scenario, there will be some computation involved in determining who the acting vice mayor will be.

“If there are two [or more] districts then the councilor with the highest garnered votes in percentage to registered voters in the district will be [the vice mayor],” Remulla explained.

The possibility of another Duterte ascending to the vice mayoral post is looming because Rigo could be the top councilor.

“[I can presider over the council] if ever, if allowed. In my case, my father became the vice mayor, my uncle Sebastian as well. I will just follow their footsteps or I will be better,” Rigo said.

Newcomers

Brothers Omar and Vincent are the neophyte politicians in the family.

At 31 years old, Omar had been serving as chairperson of Barangay Buhangin Proper, one of the biggest barangays in Davao City since 2023. The 2025 midterms was his first city-wide election after being in politics for less than two years.

It’s no surprise that Omar would enter politics as he is said to be Duterte’s “most favorite” grandson. In 2018, then-president Duterte even confessed he had wished for Omar to follow in his footsteps and become a Davao City mayor like him.

“One of my platforms that I will work on is magna carta for certain sectors, more specifically for teachers and health workers. I would like to pass a bill that expands on it since the magna carta was [passed in] 1966. It was a long time ago, so it’s about the right time that we expand it,” Omar told reporters in a mix of Cebuano and English.

From being his father’s chief of staff, Rigo became the top councilor in their district.

He has no prior political experience, apart from serving in his father’s office, but he has been visible in Davao City even prior to his candidacy. The family’s support for his political aspiration was also obvious because Rigo had been the subject of some press releases and materials published on his father’s website.

The 27-year-old Duterte, who’s the youngest member of their family in politics, said he did not expect to top the race because of the competitiveness of the midterm polls. Although he was proud of his feat, Rigo said he cried due to extreme happiness.

When asked about his platform as a city-level legislator, Rigo said he would focus on health.

“Mostly, [my platforms are] about health. My grandfather didn’t do much about health because he’s [focused on] peace and order,” the newly-elected councilor said.

Obese dynasty

By definition, the Duterte family is already an “obese” dynasty because over four members of their kin are elected officials.

Apart from the five Duterte males newly elected and proclaimed, Vice President Sara Duterte is incumbent and will serve until 2028. Paolo’s wife, Barangay Catalunan Grande chairperson January Navares Duterte, is currently a de facto councilor because she is the president of local barangay chairpersons in the city.

Pwersa ng Pilipinong Pandagat (PPP) Partylist, whose first nominee is Duterte’s nephew Harold Duterte, might also get a seat in the House of Representatives as one of the winning party-list groups. The Duterte family and Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod had backed the party list for the 2025 elections.

If PPP wins, there will be a total of eight Dutertes in elected positions in the country.

As a result of the family’s overwhelming victory, they will now hold two out of three districts — excluding the mayor and vice mayor posts.

Omar’s victory successfully expanded their dynasty’s reach, as the district was originally under the control of the Garcias, who are former allies of the Dutertes. The third district, meanwhile, is still under third-termer Isidro Ungab, also a Duterte ally.

After casting her vote on Monday, Vice President Sara made a surprising remark about dynasties. She said she is against political dynasties. Coming from one herself, the Vice President claimed she is an “expert” on the issue and that she has the credibility to speak against dynasties.

When asked to elaborate, the Vice President said that she is urging people to not automatically elect people based on their surnames alone. Sara said voters should also look into the capacity and ability of candidates.

Both Omar and Rigo had ready replies to their aunt’s remarks. Omar said context is important and that voters should consider track records too when they scrutinize political dynasties. Rigo, for his part, said: “It depends on the people who they want to vote. For Dabawenyos, if they still want us, our family, we’ll continue serving, if they still want us.” – with a report from Dylan Salcedo/Rappler.com