Digong barred from serving as Davao mayor behind bars

By Tracy Cabrera

Former President Rodrigo Duterte may have won the mayoralty race in Davao City despite being detained in the Netherlands, but he cannot serve remotely from prison, according to Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla Jr.

Remulla made the statement after Duterte clinched a landslide victory in the May 12 midterm elections, securing 662,000 votes against former Davao City 1st District Representative Karlo Alexei Nograles, who garnered only 80,000.

Running alongside his son, incumbent Vice Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, the former president reclaimed his family’s political stronghold despite his incarceration at the International Criminal Court (ICC)’s detention center in The Hague.

“‘Work-from-The-Hague’ is highly unlikely,” Remulla said. “But we will still coordinate with the ICC to ask if he can be allowed to take his oath.”

Remulla confirmed that Duterte was able to file his certificate of candidacy (CoC) while in detention and that the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) would seek clarification from the ICC on whether a Philippine consul could administer his oath of office behind bars.

However, the interior chief emphasized that due to Duterte’s imprisonment and the impossibility of him physically fulfilling his duties, Vice Mayor-elect Baste Duterte will carry out the functions of the city mayor in the meantime.