Cebu City Mayor Ronald Regis Duterte and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte

Lawyer Ronald Regis Duterte (admitted to the Bar on March 2, 1956), elected vice mayor on January 30, 1980 became Cebu City mayor in 1983 when the incumbent mayor, Dr. Florentino Solon resigned after being appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos as director of the Nutrition Center of the Philippines. Mayor “Ronnie” Duterte was however ousted from office when John H. Osmeña (son of Cebuano martyr, surgeon/Lt. Col. Emilio Osmeña Sr.) was appointed by President Corazon Aquino as Cebu City OIC mayor in 1986. John, more known as “Sonny”, resigned as OIC mayor in 1987 to run as senator (he was succeeded by Jose “Boy” Veloso Cuenco on March 19, 1987.

The Dutertes in Davao had a different fate, lawyer/fiscal Rodrigo Roa Duterte (admitted to the Bar on June 20, 1973) with the help of his mother, Soledad Gonzales Roa, a staunch supporter of Cory Aquino, was appointed OIC Davao City vice mayor in 1986 and subsequently elected Davao City mayor under the Cory administration.

Ramon (father of Ronald, admitted to the Bar on December 31, 1925) became Cebu City mayor when elected Mayor Sergio “Serging” Chiong Veloso Osmeña Jr. did not assume the position and instead became a congressman. The younger brother of Ramon by the name of Vicente (admitted to the Bar on February 27, 1940) was appointed mayor of Danao, Cebu, on January 4, 1946 by President Sergio Osmeña Sr., when the latter lost to Manuel Roxas in the presidential election on April 23, 1946 migrated to Davao and came under the protection and support of Cebuano war hero, Alejandro Almendras (Father of Davao) who in 1958 ran for senator and transferred the governorship to Vicente Duterte.

Ronald Duterte earned his Doctor of Laws at the Unibersidad de Madrid in 1960. He holds the title as the 4th elected Cebu City vice mayor. After retiring from politics (after the EDSA revolution in 1986), he became dean of the College of Law of the University of Southern Philippines (Governor/Senator Rene Gandiongco Espina was an alumnus) and University president. Mayor Ronnie was born on January 15, 1934 and he died on November 20, 2005. He married Gloria Parinas. His father, Ramon, married Rosario Regis of Carcar, Cebu. Ramon was the son of Facundo Buot Duterte and Zoila Gonzales.