Close fight in Davao City

DAVAO CITY — Monday’s elections will perhaps be the first time that this city will see the closest mayoral fight, with first district Rep. Rodrigo Duterte pitted against incumbent Mayor Benjamin de Guzman.

"It will be a very, very close fight between the two. Both candidates used to have the same group of followers," said Antonio Ajero, a political analyst and SunStar Davao editor-in-chief.

Ajero said Davaoeños still cannot categorically say who is leading the mayoral race.

"It could be anybody’s guess. But at this point nobody could really claim that one leads the other. It’s a very tightly close fight," he said.

He said the intense rivalry between Duterte and De Guzman has become a highly divisive issue. — Edith Regalado