OUTGOING Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, who is set to assume her position as vice president of the Philippines on June 30, said that the city still needs improvement.
However, she added that this is something she is "confident" that her brother, incumbent vice mayor and mayor-elect Sebastian "Baste" Duterte can accomplish.
"Dako pa kaayo og pwede i-improve... Ang atong limitation lang man is ang atong (There are so many things to improve... Our only limitation is) budget and resources," Duterte-Carpio said in an interview on 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio Monday, May 17.
She added that once there would be ample budget and income generation, this would help expedite more projects, which would help make the city a "more livable city."
Duterte-Carpio shared during her campaign that under her term, she has prioritized paying off the city’s debt of around P1 billion.
Duterte-Carpio was also proud to share that during her stint, Davao City has earned numerous achievements, including the recognition as the 4th Most Competitive City and 8th Richest City nationwide based on the National Competitiveness Council’s Cities and Municipalities Competitive Index.
The Davao City Police Office was also named as the 2nd Best City Police Office nationwide with a record of zero human rights complaints, while also ending local insurgency in the city.
Duterte-Carpio said her brother, who has been serving as acting mayor during her official leave of absence and when the 90-day national campaign in February this year started, had already seen what she and their father had done when they headed the city for the past years.
"He [has] seen the way si PRRD [President Rodrigo Roa Duterte] naging mayor, ako naging mayor (how PRRD and I became mayor), and all the other good mayors sa atong nasud (of our country)," the incumbent mayor said.
She added that based on their previous discussions, his brother understood the measure in administering the city.
"Sa tanang discussions namo (In all of our discussions), I see that he understands the measure sa administration is dapat sa usa ka mayor, dapat ang isa ka syudad (for a mayor he has to ensure that a city) must be a liveable city. So dili na kaayo na siya lisod kay naa nama'y (It is no longer hard since there is already a) measure what it is to be a liveable city," Duterte-Carpio said.
Duterte, right after he cast his vote at the Catigan Elementary School on May 9, said that he will improve the programs implemented by his predecessors, who are his elder sister, incumbent Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and his father.
"Didto nako mag-navigate (I will be navigating) between the two... Kung naa mga programa or proyekto (If there are programs or projects) that the two previous mayors had been doing, maybe I will improve or augment, and if there are problems that I have to solve, then I will solve it," the vice mayor said.
The President, during his speech at the miting de avance of the Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod-Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) led by now mayor-elect Sebastian Duterte on May 6, said that the city had further progressed since he ascended in the presidency in 2016.
"Guwapo na ang Davao. Mas musamot ni’g kaguwapo kay og maluoy ang Ginuo, naa man si Inday. Unya ako magtan-aw nalang sa akong siyudad niadto, usa ka civilian. Di na man ko makahilabot sa gobyerno, apan ingnon ta mo, usbon nako niadto kada kampanya hantod karon ako magpabiling inyong suluguon (Davao is beautiful now and it will be even more beautiful by God’s grace because Inday is here. And I will just look at my city as a civilian. I can’t interfere in government anymore, but I’ve said this before during my campaign and I’ll say it again now that I will remain a servant of the people)," he said.
He also said he can no longer interfere in their political decisions.
The President, meanwhile, told Baste to serve the public as a matter of repaying debts of gratitude for their support to the family throughout the years.
“Ayaw gyud pasagdi ang tawo, sama sa pag-alagad nako nila (Never neglect the people, serve them the way I do)," he said.
The Duterte family has ruled Davao City for more than three decades. Before the elder Duterte was elected president in 2016, he served as mayor from 1988 to 1998, representative of the first district from 1998 to 2001, mayor from 2001 to 2010, vice mayor to his daughter-mayor from 2010 to 2013, and mayor from 2013 to 16 with son Baste as vice mayor.
Duterte-Carpio, meanwhile, served as vice mayor from 2007 to 2010, and as mayor from 2010 to 2013, and from 2016 until June 30, 2022.
Baste, who entered politics as an unopposed vice mayor in 2019, was proclaimed as mayor on May 11 this year. (RGL)