(UPDATE) THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said Monday that it will coordinate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) to facilitate the oath-taking of former president Rodrigo Duterte as the newly elected mayor of Davao City, despite his detention in The Hague on charges of crimes against humanity.
DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla confirmed that the government recognizes Duterte’s landslide victory in the May 2025 midterm elections and is exploring ways to formally swear him into office while he remains incarcerated in the Netherlands.
“We recognize Mayor-elect Duterte’s mandate from the people of Davao, and we will be in touch with the ICC to discuss the formalities, including the possibility of sending a Philippine consul to The Hague to administer his oath,” Remulla told reporters.
According to the final tally from the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Duterte secured 662,630 votes, defeating his closest rival, former Civil Service Commission chairman Karlo Nograles, who received only 80,852 votes. Other candidates — Bishop Rod Cubos, Jonathan Julaine and Joselito Ran — garnered minimal support.
The victory extends the Duterte family’s 34-year dominance over Davao City’s mayoralty.
Rodrigo Duterte himself served as mayor for 22 years (1988–1998, 2001–2010, and 2013–2016), interrupted only by term limits.
His daughter, now Vice President Sara Duterte, held the post for nine years, while his son Sebastian Duterte — the current mayor and newly elected vice mayor — has served since 2022.
“The Comelec has proclaimed him mayor with an overwhelming mandate, so we recognize him as such,” Remulla said.
Since Duterte cannot physically assume office, Vice Mayor-elect Sebastian Duterte, his youngest son and the incumbent mayor, will serve as acting mayor under local governance rules.
“In his absence, the vice mayor will be there. … He must be physically present. So in his incapacity to serve, the vice mayor will take over,” Remulla said, citing Section 46(a) of the Local Government Code, which mandates that the vice mayor assumes mayoral duties in cases of temporary incapacity.
Remulla clarified that Sebastian Duterte will serve as acting mayor in his father’s absence but will have limited powers.
“He cannot appoint, suspend, or dismiss employees unless the incapacity lasts beyond 30 working days,” he noted.
However, for Duterte to officially assume office, he must first take his oath — a requirement that now hinges on ICC approval.
The DILG is proposing that a Philippine consul administer the oath in The Hague, though ICC authorities have yet to respond.
“What I intend to do is formally request the ICC to allow our consul to visit him so that he can take his oath of office, since that is a requirement for him to officially assume the post,” Remulla said.
Duterte’s arrest on March 11 by Philippine authorities, acting on an ICC warrant, and his subsequent transfer to Scheveningen Prison in The Hague have drawn global attention.
The charges stem from alleged crimes against humanity linked to the bloody “war on drugs” during his presidency and earlier tenure as Davao mayor.
