Former President Rodrigo Duterte announced his intent to run for Mayor of Davao City in the elections next year. Mayor Sebastian Duterte, reports say, will be his running mate. The decision of the former President is simply nothing short of brilliant. By making himself active once more in the country’s political scene, he can influence local government leaders ahead of the 2028 elections in which Vice President Sara Duterte is expected to run as President. Simply put, the decision of the former chief executive has rattled the local opposition.
President Duterte’s clever move is not simply meant for Davao City. While many of the party mates of the former President have already jumped ship, that is not news when it comes to Philippine politics. There is superior wisdom to the declaration. The same was actually the subject of rumors in recent months. All politics is local, so that it is important to control the ground. Indeed, the decision showcased the dominance of the Dutertes in Mindanao politics, and should dissuade anyone from the camp of Speaker Martin Romualdez from organizing any type of opposition in Davao. Any potential opponent will only find himself or herself in an unenviable situation. It is not a question of intent. Some things are a matter of destiny.
As mayor, nothing will change when it comes to policy and the promotion of government programs meant to protect the welfare of the common tao. It is the Duterte brand of politics. Malasakit sa kapwa is rooted in our communitarian way of life. Mayor Baste has put it as a matter of personal principle that the government is meant to serve those who have less in life. It truly exists for the good of those who have no power to defend themselves. The peace and order program will remain to be the centerpiece of the Duterte administration in the years ahead. The importance of public safety and security is critical to equitable economic progress.
This development, of course, is a result of the changing political dynamics in the country. The House Speaker has been using the power of the purse of Congress to influence local leaders and their constituents through the phenomenon called ayuda-cracy, in which some type of aid for the poor is used in order to manipulate the electorate. This is the reality post-Uniteam. Yet, it has not affected the minds of voters since VP Sara remains to enjoy the highest trust rating among high-ranking government officials.
The former President, contrary to the pronouncements of Manila-based media people, including academic scholars, still maintains great influence. The charisma is apparent. The problem with these commentators is that they have no idea what Davao City truly is. Many of these analysts have no lived experience when it comes to the actual state of things. Mindanao in the past simply suffered from an image problem, no thanks to an age-old orthodoxy that painted it as a land of conflict.
Still, some people, due to their ideological leanings and strict interpretation of liberal politics, undermine the radical change brought forth by the former President. Peacebuilding in the Bangsamoro right now remains to be his biggest legacy. As such, it is preposterous to call the leadership style of Duterte as a new kind of authoritarianism. The problem is that there are analysts who would rather choose to ignore the fact that President Duterte transformed Davao City from being one of the hotbeds of the communist insurgency during the eighties into a new, dynamic, and flourishing metropolis that it is today.
The former President remains to be a force to reckon with in Philippine politics. The saga of Rodrigo Duterte continues. No other President after the country’s independence from its colonial rulers has put the country on the global map. In fact, the problems we have today when it comes to the West Philippine Sea are a result of weak leadership. The position chosen by the present administration, which is about trying to show strength despite the lack of any firm US commitment in the midst of Chinese bullying, simply reflects our continued subjugation by the imperialistic motives of the United States of America.
