MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte’s three children won their respective races in local elections—a proof that the family’s hold on its southern bailiwick of Davao City politics is nowhere near over.
As expected, Sara “Inday” Duterte-Carpio retained her post as the mayor of Davao City after overwhelmingly defeating her lone opponent Jun Marcellones.
Carpio—running under Hugpong ng Pagbabago, the regional party she founded—obtained 570,499 votes as of 11:26 a.m. against independent bet Marcellones’ measly 4,190 votes.
Her younger brother, Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, ran unopposed as vice mayor. He got 548,508 votes as of press time.
The Dutertes would once again penetrate the Congress with the victory of Paolo “Pulong” Duterte. The former Davao City vice mayor seized first legislative district seat of Davao City with 195,074 votes.
The eldest child of the president tagged in illegal drug trade bested independent rivals Susan Uyanguren (5,081 votes) and Rex Labis (2,112 votes).
Dutertes' hold of Davao
The widely-expected victory of the three Duterte siblings is seen to further cement the influential family’s reign in Davao City.
“The wins speak of the high regard for the Dutertes in their home turf. Of course, this also means the entrenchment [of] the dynasty in the place,” political analyst Mon Casiple told Philstar.com in a text message.
The elder Duterte, before becoming the most powerful man in the country, served three terms as mayor, three terms as vice mayor and one term as the representative of the city’s first district.
Sara is eyed by some as the potential successor of his father in the 2022 presidential elections.
On election day, the president advised his children to leave politics as he decried what he described as “paid hacks” and “hyenas” in the media who are “dishing out lies.”
“The earlier that they go out of politics, the better," the president told reporters after casting his vote in Davao City. — Gaea Katreena Cabico