DAVAO City Mayor and Vice Mayor-elect Sebastian “Baste” Duterte said he remains hopeful that the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will honor the people’s mandate by allowing his father, former President Rodrigo R. Duterte (FPRRD), to assume office as the city’s mayor.
"I want to believe that this administration will allow Rodrigo Duterte to take a seat as mayor, to honor the will of the people," he said during a media interview on Tuesday, June 18, 2025.
Baste remains optimistic that his father will become the next mayor of Davao City. He added that he isn’t concerned about being designated as officer-in-charge or acting mayor, saying what truly matters is for Rodrigo to serve.
Despite the elder Duterte’s detention, Baste said that Dabawenyos have clearly expressed their choice through the ballot. He noted that since his father has not been disqualified and remains the mayor-elect, he would leave the matter at that, even as questions remain on how the situation will unfold.
He acknowledged that the Marcos administration appeared to be against them and claimed it held the power “to influence, to manipulate things, to allow or not allow.”
“If they don’t honor the will of the Dabawenyos, that’s their decision,” Baste said.
He added that it might be possible for FPRRD to take his oath of office through the Philippine Embassy in the Netherlands, though he is unsure whether such an arrangement would be legally recognized.
FPRRD was transferred to The Hague in the Netherlands on March 11, 2025, to face charges of alleged crimes against humanity committed during his presidency.
Despite his detention, FPRRD was proclaimed mayor of Davao City on May 13, 2025, winning 662,630 votes and defeating Karlo Nograles and Bishop Rod Cubos in his return to local politics. RGP