Duterte, Nograles face off in Davao mayoralty race

DAVAO CITY , Philippines — Over three million Davao City voters will choose today between former president Rodrigo Duterte and lawyer Karlo Nograles to be the next mayor of this southern metropolis.

Today’s election marks the comeback of Duterte to politics for the first time since stepping down as president in June 2022.

Duterte served as Davao City mayor for several terms until he won the presidency in 2016.

The 80-year-old Duterte is running under the Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod wing of the Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban ng Bayan.

He is currently detained at the International Criminal Court facility in The Hague, Netherlands. He was arrested and whisked away by authorities upon arrival from Hong Kong at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport last March 11.

Nograles, 48, is running as an independent candidate. He served under Duterte as Cabinet secretary from 2018 to 2022 before being appointed as Civil Service Commission chair.

Nograles stepped down from the CSC when he filed his certificate of candidacy for mayor last October.

Nograles is reportedly the bet of President Marcos for the position.

Meanwhile, Vice President Sara Duterte is expected to cast her vote between 7 and 8 a.m. at polling precinct 1245A under Cluster Precinct 361 at the Daniel Aguinaldo National High School at Barangay Matina, in this city.

The Vice President heard mass at the San Pedro Cathedral yesterday afternoon on the eve of the midterm polls.

Her brother, incumbent Mayor Sebastian Duterte is the former president’s running mate while Dr. Bernard Al-ag is Nograles’ bet for vice mayor.

If both the former president and his son win, Sebastian may end up serving as acting city mayor. The former president is not allowed to even use a cell phone in his ICC detention facility.