DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 18 March) – Mayor Sara Duterte rendered Thursday her last State of the City Address which also served as her valedictory after serving alternately as mayor and vice mayor for 12 years.
Duterte is running for vice president in the May 2022 general elections. She had originally sought a reelection as mayor but later decided to become the running mate of former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
“Today — allow me to formally — and with a heavy heart — say farewell. Tuguti ko ninyo nga manamilit kaninyo. Nga mananghid kaninyo (Allow me to say farewell to you. To ask your permission),” she said.
Duterte served as vice mayor from 2007 to 2010, mayor from 2010 until 2013, elected mayor in 2016 when her father ran for president, and re-elected in 2019 with his brother Sebastian “Baste” Duterte as vice mayor.
She told Dabawenyos that she has been called to join the national race, which could give another opportunity to take on a bigger challenge of serving the entire country.
Duterte is running as vice president under Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats, which adopted Marcos Jr. as its presidential candidate.
“This is a challenge that gives me the opportunity to spread my wings wider, to soar higher, and reach new heights — with the support of our fellow Filipinos — for our beloved country,” she said.
The mayor added she is confident to leave a city that “has so much more potential for greatness, buoyed by a stronger economy and a stronger citizenry, with programs and services institutionalized to ensure continuity.”
She said her successor will “be able to sustain, if not surpass, what we have achieved, and take Davao City even higher.”
Duterte also recalled that having been elected for the first time as vice mayor in 2007 and as mayor thereafter helped her develop into the leader that she is today.
“My heartfelt gratitude goes out to all the Dabawenyos. Your patience in letting me grow from a shy neophyte in 2007 to a confident leader today is a gift not all public servants are lucky enough to receive. You gave me wings and you taught me how to fly. Your love made me who I am today,” she added.
She said her job as mayor is not without challenges, among them the Roxas Night Market bombing in 2016, alleged hostilities by the New People’s Army and the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought the local economy to its knees.
“Just like the rest of the world, COVID-19 put a halt on our development efforts. It challenged our resolve, our resilience, and our strength as Dabawenyos in ways that we could never have imagined. We witnessed and felt the crippling impact of the pandemic on our economy, but Davao City stood strong and remained steadfast in achieving its goals. We never gave up,” she said.
She said the local government responded to the pandemic by “listening to experts, by welcoming partnerships, and by listening to the people.”
“Before the pandemic, our economy was one of the most vibrant in the country — with employment and business opportunities comparable to the big cities in Luzon and the Visayas,” she said.
Admiring the “resiliency” of the Dabawenyos amid the challenges, Duterte said: “As Dabawenyos, to surrender is not in our blood. Winning is in our flesh.”
“We have embodied strength. We have embodied resiliency. We have embodied courage. We rejected those who made us doubt ourselves. We rejected those who told us that we cannot make it. We rejected those who wanted to see us on our knees defeated,” she said.
The Duterte family has ruled Davao City for more than three decades. Before he was elected president in 2016, Rodrigo R. Duterte, Sara’s father, was appointed as vice mayor from 1986 to 1988, mayor from 1988 to 1998, representative of the first district from 1998 to 2001, mayor from 2001 to 2010, vice mayor to Sara from 2010 to 2013, and mayor from 2013 to 16 with son Paolo as vice mayor.
Paolo, the president’s eldest son, was councilor from 2008 to 2013, vice mayor from 2013 to 2018, and elected as representative of the First District in 2019. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)