DESPITE the anticipation and excitement of all the people who attended the Datu Bago Awards 2024, former President Rodrigo R. Duterte, the sole awardee, was a no-show at the event on Wednesday evening, March 13, 2024.
Councilor Pilar Braga, chairperson of the committee on education, science, and technology, arts and culture, announced that Duterte will be the only one receiving this year's Datu Bago Award.
The award-giving body's Board of Trustees suspended the five applications and considered them for 2025 to honor Duterte’s contributions to Davao City.
They expressed that it is high time that Dabawenyos show their appreciation to the former president by giving him the highest recognition given by the City Government of Davao to outstanding Dabawenyos who have contributed to the city’s growth and development.
Similarly, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go said in a Facebook post that the award is long overdue and that Duterte is the most deserving Dabawenyo to have received it. He added that Duterte will continue to serve the Filipino people with or without an award and that he’s witnessed firsthand his dedication, strength, and love for public service.
Braga emphasized that the award centered on Duterte's contributions to the city, citing that it is time for the board of trustees to recognize his contributions, even though many people consider it a controversial choice that needs further scrutiny.
Awarded despite his absence
Even when Duterte was absent during his conferment, Braga said he would still be given the Datu Bago Award, whether he liked it or not.
Braga said in her speech that Duterte would not be able to attend this year's Datu Bago Awards because he was attending to a “friend in need”.
She said, "He would sacrifice his own pain and glory, moments, such as this moment, to rush to a friend in need, thus, his absence tonight."
However, she did not specify the identity of the "friend" Duterte needed to attend to.
In the middle of her speech, Braga said that some of the attendees may be disappointed by his absence, but Duterte has a long-standing history of refusing to receive awards.
She mentioned that Duterte has been known for declining awards, even during his tenure as mayor of Davao City, and preferring to serve the people as their public servant.
"Most of us know that during his long stint as City Mayor, he has refused to receive any award or recognition for himself," she said. "Humbly always saying that he is only doing his job and he should not be rewarded for doing it well because people, especially in public service, must always do their job well."
Braga shared that even though Davao City achieved awards under his term, he refused to receive any of them. Rather, he sent a representative, a person who best represented the sector in which the city received recognition.
“He is not just being modest about it. It comes from his belief that whatever we may have achieved as a city during his multiple terms, he did not do it himself. It is always a collective effort by the people of Davao City,” she said.
It was Vice Mayor Melchor Quitain who received the award on Duterte’s behalf and praised Duterte's 22 years of decisive and transformative governance in the city, stating, "Under your tenure, Davao City experienced significant changes and progress, transforming it into the safest and most vibrant economic urban centers in the Philippines."
Contributions to Davao City
Duterte was elected mayor of Davao City. He also became a prosecutor, vice mayor, congressman, and the only president of the Republic of the Philippines who hails from Mindanao.
He became the local chief executive of the city for almost two decades, and under his leadership, the city has seen progress in terms of infrastructure development, peace and order, social services, and economic growth. Under his term, the city was declared one of the Philippines' safest and most livable cities.
Braga said that Duterte was known for his leadership style, which included his “unorthodox method and blind rhetorics,” which earned him many admirers and critics.
Some of his efforts include establishing the city's first 911 emergency response in 1997, reducing crime in the city, helping the indigenous communities, and his talks with the rebel groups during his term as mayor.
The Board of Trustees said that Duterte’s inclusive government and community empowerment have created a culture of unity, resilience, and progress for Dabawenyos.
Some of the people present at the conferment were some of the previous Datu Bago Awardees, such as Joji Ilagan-Bian, Ines P. Mallari, PhD, Carmelina V. Francia, CPA, Guillermo P. Torres Jr., and Mary Ann M. Montemayor. RGP