Sebastian “Baste” Duterte presided on Tuesday the inaugural session of the 19th city council of Davao, his first as vice mayor.
In an interview shortly after his inauguration on June 22, Sebastian, the youngest son of President Duterte with ex-wife Elizabeth Zimmerman, said he was prepared to take on the second highest position in the local government.
VM BASTE. Davao City Vice Mayor Sebastian Duterte presides over the opening the first regular session of the City Council at Sangguniang Panlungsod in Davao City on Tuesday. Lean Daval Jr
Under Section 456 of the Local Government Code of 1991, the city vice mayor shall be the “presiding officer of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (City Council) and sign all warrants drawn on the city treasury for all expenditures appropriated for the operation of the Sangguniang Panlungsod.”
Subject to civil service law, rules and regulations, the vice mayor appoints all officials and employees of the city council except those whose manner of appointment is specifically provided under the Code.
The law also provides that the vice mayor will assume the office of the mayor “for the unexpired term of the latter in the event of permanent vacancy”; exercise the powers and perform the duties and functions of the city mayor in cases of temporary vacancy; and exercise other powers and perform such other duties and functions as may be prescribed by law or ordinance.
The current city council has nine women and fifteen men as members.
In the 1st district, the eight local council seats are shared equally among male and female councilors. They are re-elected councilors Maria Clara Belen “Mabel” Sunga-Acosta, Melchor B. Quitain Jr., Edgar P. Ibuyan Jr., Bonifacio E. Militar, Pilar C. Braga, returning councilor Nilo D. Abellera, and new councilors Pamela A. Librado and Jessica M. Bonguyan.
The 2nd district has only one woman councilor, Richlyn Justol-Baguilod. The other seven are all men: re-elected councilor Danilo C. Dayanghirang, returning councilors Louie John T. Bonguyan and Dante L. Apostol, and new councilors Ralph O. Abella, Augusto Javie G. Campos II, Diosdado Angelo R. Mahipus Jr. and Jonard C. Dayap.
The 3rd district has an equal number of male and female councilors. The female council members are re-elected councilors Dr. Mary Joselle D. Villafuerte and Antoinette G. Principe, returning councilor Myrna G. Dalodo-Ortiz, and new councilor Bai Hundra Cassandra Dominique N. Advincula.
The male members are re-elected councilors Conrado Baluran and Jesus Joseph Zozobrado III, and new councilors Wilberto Al-Ag and Alberto Ungab, who was former 3rd District Representative.
Jaffar Marohomsalic, Sangguniang Kabataan Federation president, and Edgar Ibuyan Sr., the Association of Barangay Councils president, were also given council seats. The mandatory representative of the Indigenous Peoples to the city council has yet to be named.
Except for Jessica M. Bonguyan, all 24 elected councilors ran either under Hugpong ng Pagbabago of presidential daughter and re-elected Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio or Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod, a local party of then mayor and now President Rodrigo R. Duterte. The two parties later merged into the Hugpong Alliances. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)
