DAVAO CITY(MIndaNews/ 5 October) — Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte will run for mayor, a post he held for about two decades.
Councilor Melchor Quitatin filed the certificate of candidacy (COC) of the tough-talking Duterte, at the Commission on Elections field office here at around 3 p.m. Friday.
Quitain did not explain why Duterte, who was once featured in the Time Magazine as “The Punisher,” opted not to do the filing of his COC himself.
Mayor Sara Duterte said in a text message she will give way to her father, who was mayor of this city from 1988 to 1998 and from 2001 to 2010.
“I will go back to work in the law office in July next year after my term,” she added.
The younger Duterte had worked in the Supreme Court before she was elected as vice mayor in 2007, then won the city’s top post in 2010 while her father bagged the vice mayoralty post.
At the end of the filing of COCs at 5 p.m., six candidates, including Duterte, are vying for the city’s top post.
Earlier Friday, Teodoro Mantilla, 45, filed his COC for mayor, saying this would be his second time to run as mayor, though he could not recall when the first time was.
“I am running to end the political dynasty,” he told reporters.
The other candidates for mayor are Rodrigo Sulamin, Rolly Solis, Magdaleno Marcellones, Jr. and Rodrigo Buezon.
Paolo Duterte, president of the Association of Barangay Captains, filed his COC for vice mayor 25 minutes before the deadline and will be running unopposed.
He said it took him until that afternoon because he waited for the decision of his father and his sister, adding the latter “run the city well so far.”
The Dutertes are running under the local political party Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod, which is also fielding former vice mayor Luis Bonguyan as bet for the first congressional district of the city.
Bonguyan, who served the public as vice mayor for nine years from 1998 to 2007, will face incumbent Rep. Karlo Nograles, and Elly Pamatong.
“The vice mayor must have seen my capacity that’s why he asked me to run,” Bonguyan told reporters.
He said that with the support of Hugpong and his running mates, he is confident he can beat Nograles.
Rep. Isidro Ungab of the third district is also running unopposed under Hugpong.
Rep. Mylene Garcia of the second district is seeking reelection under Hugpong and her rivals are Joji Ilagan, Jenell Nagayo and Ulysses Lopez. (Lorie Ann A. Cascaro/MindaNews.