Monday, May 21, 2007 Sara has a mind of her own: exec
DAVAO CITY-- Administrator Wendel Avisado hinted that the next Vice-Mayor of Davao City will not be a political prototype of her father, re-elected Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte.
Referring to Sara Zimmerman Duterte, virtual winner of the recent vice-mayoralty contest in this city of 750,000 registered voters, Avisado said the young lawyer has a mind of her own.
Avisado made the remarks in an impromptu speech during the 568th Davao Christian Leadership (DCL) breakfast fellowship Friday at the Grand Men Seng Hotel, this city.
The young Duterte, who was Mayor Duterte's running mate in the recently conducted elections, is a lopsided winner in all partial tabulations conducted including the one made by her own political aggrupation.
Hugpong Sa Tawong Lungsod where she is reported to have garnered a total of 315,000 votes as against her opponent Jeff Ho's 40,900 votes with all the 99 percent votes tabulated from the precinct level and authenticated by the BEIs (Board of Election Inspectors).
In the same unofficial results, Mayor Duterte garnered a total of 375,580 votes.
Avisado also described the votes received by Ho as "protest votes" which he said was expected particularly among middle class electorate who had disliked the father-daughter political team tandem.
He said that although Duterte can work independently on her own as the next presiding officer of the 27-member (24 elected, 2 appointed councilors and 1 vice-mayor) City Council of Davao City, she as a neophyte leader will still need the support of her colleagues.
Avisado assured that Sara Duterte will get the support of the executive department of the city government.
On the same occasion, Avisado also announced that Councilor Emmanuel D. Galicia, who is serving his last term in the City Council will soon be joining the executive department of the city government.
Avisado said that he will make sure that Galicia will have a very important role in the executive department.
He said that he will support to the hilt the advocacy of the three-term serving city councilor including that of the continuing education of our people. (PIA)
