Ex-president wants to be Davao City mayor again

FORMER president Rodrigo Duterte finalized his return to local politics when he filed his certificate of candidacy (CoC) on Monday to be mayor of Davao City. His youngest son and incumbent local chief executive, Sebastian Duterte, will be his running mate as vice mayor. Two other members of the former leader's family also filed their CoC — eldest son Paolo for Davao City first district representative, and Paolo's son Omar for second district representative. Former president Rodrigo Duterte shows his certificate of candidacy on Oct. 7, 2024. PHOTO FACEBOOK/BONG GO The 79-year-old Duterte submitted his documents to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Davao late afternoon of October 7, the penultimate day for the filing set for local and national aspirants, behind the loud cheers from his avid supporters. Although he had repeatedly said he has retired from public service after his six years in Malacañang, Duterte's decision to reclaim his old post did not come as a surprise after dropping hints the past few days. At a press conference last Saturday night, Duterte made a pronouncement regarding the possibility that there would be a Duterte-Duterte tandem in the May 2025 elections. He also warned that should he win, criminals, especially drug pushers, in the city should flee as he would show them no mercy. "If I become a mayor, you better leave because if I get you, there will be killings," he said in Filipino. During his time as president, Duterte earned strong criticism for his unforgiving campaign against illegal drugs, which also prompted the International Criminal Court to launch a probe into the supposed human rights abuses committed under his watch. Duterte was the longtime mayor of Davao City before he ran for and won the presidency in 2016.