THREE TOP Davao lawyers have banded together in filing a Petition for Certiorari and Prohibition with the Supreme Court on the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Whatever will be the ruling of the Highest Court of the land on this petition will surely be a very significant milestone in Philippine jurisprudence.
But will the Supreme Court grant the Davao lawyers’ petition considering that what is asked of is compliance by another independent branch of government – the Senate – with a Constitutional mandate?
This petition by lawyers Israelito Torreon, Martin Delgra, and Luna Acosta is one worth waiting to be acted upon no matter how long.
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Well now, for several columns we have we harped on who are the most likely candidates who will win in the various local positions contested in the coming May 2025 elections. Those are, from Davao City’s mayor, Vice Mayor, Councilors of the city’s three districts, and Congressmen.
We mentioned the names of the candidates except for Councilors. Specifically, we believe the Dutertes will continue to dominate. Former President Rody is clearly a front-runner with Karlo Nograles literally panting to catch up for second place in the mayoral poll. It is also our take that Incumbent Mayor Baste Duterte appears headed to trounce Councilor Dr. Bernie Al-ag in the Vice Mayoral race.
For the Congressional seats, Paolo Duterte is likely to lord over lawyer Migz Nograles in the first. Omar Duterte looks to have an easy time smashing Javi Garcia Campos in the Second, and in the third Duterte ally Sid Ungab seems way ahead of Councilor Wilberto “Nonoy” Al-ag.
Our projection is now backed by the result of the survey conducted last January by the University of Mindanao-Institute of Public Opinion (UM-IPO). The result of the survey came out in the issue of this paper yesterday.
Hence, we were not anymore surprised because our own assessment of the candidates’ chances also came from informal individual and group discussions we had with a number of people from all three districts.
But there are two items in the survey result that somehow jolted us a little from our seats. First is the surge of candidate Rodrigo “Rigo” Duterte II to the top slot in the councilors’ race for the first district. Should this feat of Rigo continue until the election, then the possibility that City Hall will be ruled by a Duterte-Duterte duo is getting certain.
That is, if we will be proven correct in our assumption that sure winner Dujterte the father and former President, will not assume as mayor. Then that leaves Baste, another sure winner for the VM position, assuming as mayor. Of course, Rigo, if he remains on top of the winners in District 1, will be taking the vice mayor’s post, no question about it.
The other surprising item in the UM-IPO survey result is the rise of councilor Sweet Advincula to the top slot in the third district Council race.
In the same UM-IPO survey, it is also old-timer Councilor Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz who is second to Sweet. However, the 2022 poll top-notch Alberto Ungab in the same district ranked only number 4 – which is less expected knowing that wherever there is a project sponsored by his brother Congressman Isidro (and there are many) not far behind is the name of Alberto Ungab the councilor.
Now should Congressman Sid consider the seemingly low performance of his brother “danger signal?” We’d rather leave it to the Congressman to think it over and do the necessary before it becomes too late.
Meanwhile, we agree with the claim of a significant quarter in the city that the Dutertes still have a long way to go as the political overlords in Davao. Imagine the third generation of the family now appears rising very strongly. Rigo II most likely topped the Council in the first; brother Omar possibly eased out the Garcias! And the second-generation Dutertes are still very much around. Sara the county’s Vice President; Polong the first district Congressman; and Baste the city mayor.
Indeed for other politically-inclined families, how long could their wait be before getting the opportunity to serve as top city executive?
