On June 21, 2019, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, Davao City Vice Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, and First District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte took oath for their respective positions.
Their parents, President Rodrigo R. Duterte and Elizabeth Zimmerman, were present at the Sangguniang Panlungsod to witness the oath taking.
In his speech, the President was overwhelmed by the support of the Dabawenyos to his family.
“Wala na ako’y mapangayo sa mga tawo. Sagad na nga ang hiningi ko sa inyo. Iyong the confidence and the trust and of course your belief na kaya ko pati kaya ng pamilya ko na dalhin niyo ‘yung siyudad to a more progressive city,” President Duterte said.
Clearly, there is the pressure for Baste as he is yet to make his mark as a politician. Duterte-Carpio and Paolo have developed their own signature styles and image in the political arena.
President Duterte, in his speech, also gave some sound advice to Baste.
"Baste will have a -- he has to have the learning curve. Basahin mo na lang 'yung rules of parliament -- parliamentary rules, pareho lang 'yan. You will learn in about two months. What you cannot learn is the temperament of each and every councilor," the President said.
He also reminded his children to stay humble and "do not flaunt that power."
Baste, in his speech, said that he is ready to serve the public despite being a neophyte in government service.
“I come here armed with my fervent desire to serve. The challenges that lie ahead will be difficult. I may be new in government service, but I trust that this desire will be the impetus from where my impact to the city and its people will come about,” he said.
It would also be interesting to see how Paolo will be in the larger political arena at the House of Representatives.
During his speech at the oath taking, Paolo said he hopes to come up with laws that will positively impact his constituents, specifically in livelihood, job employment, infrastructure improvement, education opportunities especially to the less fortunate children and the youth, and sustainable development across sectors, especially in the countryside.
“Our main agenda is not only development and change, but meaningful development and positive change,” Duterte said.
It will be interesting to see how the dynamics of the three will play out in the next three years. While we are in a wait and see phase of how things will play out in the leadership of Davao City, one thing is clear -- most Dabawenyos remain confident that the Duterte brand of leadership will allow the city to progress further.