DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/12 May) – It’s official.
Vice Mayor Sara Duterte succeeded his father, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, as chief executive of this city.
At exactly 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Duterte, who made history as the first lady mayor in the history of this city, was proclaimed by the Commission on Elections’ City Board of Canvassers led by its chair, Atty. Danilo Cullo, at the Sangguniang Panlungsod session hall less than 48 hours after Monday’s voting had closed.
Duterte handed House Speaker Prospero Nograles his third mayoralty bid setback in dominating fashion, beating the fourth highest official in the land in terms of succession with more than 200,000 votes.
Duterte obtained 388,465 votes against Nograles’s 160,225 votes with already 99.40 percent votes canvassed. Duterte was a no show in the proclamation but her husband, Atty. Mans Carpio, was visibly seen at the gallery.
The CBOC also proclaimed Mayor Duterte as the new vice mayor, replacing his daughter, after getting 440,030 votes.
The elder Duterte defeated bitter rival Team Nograles vice mayoralty bet Ben de Guzman, who took 105,962 votes.
“The turnout clearly shows the choice of the Dabawenyos,” said Duterte in an interview Tuesday afternoon while the canvassing was ongoing.
Ms. Duterte thanked her supporters for working hard for her victory.
“I am very thankful to my supporters in the ground who worked hard, rain or shine, to help my campaign,” she said.
Rodrigo Buazon came in at far third in the mayoral race with 2,191 votes followed by Rodrigo Sulamin with 1,941 votes and Magdaleno Marcellones with 1,639 votes.
The CBOC resumed canvassing the untransmitted compact flashcards following the proclamation.
Aside from the post of mayor and vice mayor, the CBOC also proclaimed the three congressional district race winners and new members of the city council, except for the second district.
Lawyer Milen Garcia successfully succeeded her brother, outgoing second district Rep. Vincent Garcia.
Garcia, the official candidate of the local party Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod led by Mayor Duterte, received 61,887 votes to beat rival Councilor Diosdado Mahipus, who garnered 42,625 votes.
Team Nograles bet Joji Bian came in at third with 41,638 votes.
In the third congressional district, incumbent Rep. Isidro Ungab defeated come-backing Ruy Lopez of Team Nograles.
Ungab, the Hugpong candidate, got 65,029 votes to secure his second term.
Lopez had 43,828 votes. At third was Victorio Advincula Sr. with 7,647.
Team Nograles bet lawyer Karlo Nograles, son and former chief of staff of the speaker, won the first district congressional race over Hugpong standout Councilor Mabel Acosta.
Nograles, who was a no show in the proclamation, gathered 99,586 votes while Acosta had 91,414 votes.
“Is Nograles around?” asked the CBOC.
The new members of the city council from the first district are former city administrator Wendel Avisado (Hugpong), Atty. Leah Librado (Hugpong), Atty. Emmauel Galicia (Hugpong), Atty. Melchor J. Quitain (Hugpong), Nilo Abellera Jr. (Hugpong), Jo-Anne Bonguyan (Team Nograles), and reelectionists Edgar Ibuyan (Hugbong) and Pilar Braga (Independent).
Winners in the third district are reelectionists Karlo Bello (Hugpong), Rachel Zozobrado (Hugpong), Myrna Dalodo Ortiz (Hugpong), Jose Luis Villafuerte (Hugpong), Rene Elias Lopez (Team Nograles), Conrado Baluran (Hugpong), and newcomers Victorio Advincula Jr. (Hugpong) and Bernard Al-ag (Hugpong). (Rico Biliran / MindaNews)