- Dutertes cement hold on Davao City after overwhelming victory
TO THE surprise of no one, the Dutertes dominated the 2025 Mid-Term Elections, crushing veteran opponents and upstarts and cementing their political bailiwick.
Five Dutertes–from grandfather to grandsons–achieved landslide victories as 100% of the election returns have been transmitted to the Davao City Board of Canvassers at the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
Former president Rodrigo Duterte won with an overwhelming margin, garnering 662,630 votes. In contrast, Karlo Nograles, who used to be the first district representative of Davao City, stood no chance with 80,852 votes.
His son, Mayor Sebastian Duterte, makes a comeback at the Sanguniang Panlungsod as he was elected vice mayor with 651,356 votes, trumping active competitor Bernie Al-ag, who only garnered 78,893 votes.
For the first legislative district, incumbent congressman Paolo Duterte was reelected after garnering 203,557 votes. Meanwhile, Atty. Margarita Nograles only managed 49,186 votes.
Omar Vincent Duterte, Buhangin barangay captain and the congressman’s son, wrested the representative seat for the second district, originally a stronghold of the Garcia family, who fielded Councilor Augusto Javier Campos III (Javi Garcia Campos).
Campos, nephew of 2nd District Rep Vincent Garcia, only garnered 90,156 votes.
Another congressman’s son, Rodrigo “Rigo” Duterte II, clinched the top spot for the first district councilor seat after getting 192,324 votes.
Meanwhile, Duterte ally Isidro Ungab won his reelection bid for the third district congressional seat handily after garnering 178,721 votes.
During the proclamation on Tuesday afternoon, only the grandsons- Omar and Rigo- were present, while their father and uncle, the city’s mayor, were no-shows.
This election was also the first for Davao City as Davaoeños elected their first “absent” mayor-elect, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is still detained by the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Vice President Sara Duterte earlier said the legal team of the former president is discussing how he could take oath as a mayor while the investigation and trial for crimes against humanity are ongoing..
