DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 25 Dec) – During a gift-giving event for his supporters on Christmas Day here, former President Rodrigo R. Duterte urged Dabawenyos not to abandon his family in the May 12, 2025 elections.
“Ayaw ninyo biyai ang mga Duterte kay ang mga Duterte wala gyud mi mobiya ninyo sukad niadto. Gitagaan mo og gwapong syudad. Nilambo ang atong syudad, tan-awa karon (Don’t leave the Dutertes because the Dutertes have not left you ever since. You have been given a beautiful city. Our city has progressed, look at it now),” Duterte told his supporters during the “Pahalipay sa Pasko” program held at his family’s ancestral home along Taal Road, Central Park Subdivision, Barangay Bangkal in the afternoon of Christmas Day.
The Dutertes have been holding the “Pahalipay sa Pasko” every year for a while now. His speech in the early afternoon was streamed live on the Rody Duterte page on Facebook.
Duterte thanked the Dabawenyos for supporting him, stating that it was in Davao where his political career started until he became the country’s first Mindanawon president, from 2016 until 2022.
The strongest contender against the Duterte patriarch for mayor is Karlos Alexei B. Nograles, whom the former President appointed as his Cabinet Secretary from 2018 to 2022, and later served as chairperson of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) from 2022 until his (Nograles) resignation on Oct. 7.
“Unya mangutana pud ko ninyo, ngano alisdan man mi ninyo? Wala man mi nakasala ninyo. Wala man mi nangurakot. Trabaho lang tanan para sa katilingban og mao nay timan-i ninyo (I will ask you this, why would you replace us? We have not wronged you. We did not steal people’s money. We only worked for our community. That’s what you should remember),” he said.
The 79-year-old leader stated that incumbent Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, his youngest child with ex-wife Elizabeth Zimmerman, who is his running mate in next year’s elections, will succeed him as mayor of Davao if he dies.
Sebastian will run as vice mayor against Bernard Al-ag (an incumbent councilor of Davao’s 1st District), Rhodora S. Barcena, and Richard A. Alcebar.
“Si Baste nga akong anak – akong bise mayor – simbako kung magkasakit ko, mamatay ko, Duterte lang gihapon ang inyong mayor (Baste, who is my son – my vice mayor – God forbid if I get sick or I’ll die, your mayor will still be a Duterte),” he said.
The other contenders for mayor are independent candidates Bishop Rodolfo A. Cubos and social media influencer Roweno “Boy Isog” R. Caballes.
Meanwhile, Nograles’ younger sister, Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA)-Partylist Rep. Margarita Ignacia B. Nograles, development worker Maria Victoria “Mags” Maglana, social worker Janeth Jabines, and retired Bureau of Jail Management and Penology officer Rex Labis, will challenge incumbent Rep. Paolo Duterte.
The Nograles siblings are the children of former House Speaker Prospero Castillo Nograles, who died in 2019.
Meanwhile, Paolo’s children have also joined the local elections. Omar, incumbent chairman of Barangay Buhangin, is running for a congressional seat of Davao’s 2nd District against incumbent 2nd District councilor Javier Campos of the influential Garcia family. Rigo, on the other hand, filed his candidacy for first district councilor.
Before he was elected President in 2016, Duterte served as mayor from 1988 to 1998, representative of the first district from 1998 to 2001, mayor from 2001 to 2010, vice mayor from 2010 to 2013, and mayor from 2013 to 2016. Last Oct. 7, Duterte filed his certificate of candidacy for mayor.
Duterte hinted that either Omar or Rigo, who are both rookies in politics, could be the next mayor of Davao. He stressed that it might take two more leaders from the Duterte family to improve Davao.
“Moabot gyud ang panahon nga ang Duterte ngari, Duterte pero mga Moro na ug maayo na para maayo ang pagpadagan sa syudad sa Davao. Aron ang mga Moro sa Mindanao walay masulti nato (The time will come that a Duterte, a Duterte from the Moro people, will be running Davao effectively. That way, the Moro people of Mindanao will have nothing negative to say about us),” he said.
Both Omar and Rigo are Paolo’s sons from his ex-wife, Lovelie Sangkola Sumera, of Tausug descent.
Based on information released on Wednesday, Capt. Hazel Tuazon, Davao City Police Office (DCPO) spokesperson, said that an estimated crowd of 50,000 trooped to the Duterte family’s ancestral home on Christmas Day for the “Pahalipay sa Pasko.”
She said that 1,938 police personnel were deployed to ensure the safety and security of the locals.
Tuazon said that as of 2:50 p.m., the distribution of food packs was “generally peaceful and normal.”
Vice President Sara Duterte also graced the gift-giving event.
According to Tuazon, people began lining up for the food pack distribution as early as 11:13 p.m. on Tuesday, prompting local security personnel to tighten measures by deploying troops from different law enforcement agencies. However, the City Government of Davao did not start distribution until 5 a.m. on Wednesday.
She said a pre-deployment briefing was conducted to “ensure that all personnel were adequately informed about their specific tasks, responsibilities, and the operational guidelines” for the Duterte family’s Christmas event.
“The ground commander reminded all personnel to remain alert and vigilant at their respective posts to maintain the peace and order throughout the activity,” she said. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
