DAVAO City First District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte urged his son, Rodrigo “Rigo” Duterte II, to perform well as acting vice mayor, following his official designation by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Paolo said he advised Rigo to work hard, noting that his performance will influence whether Dabawenyos support him in future elections.
He expressed pride that his children are following in his footsteps by entering public service.
“Tarungon lang niya kay iyaha manang kaugmaon ang atoang gi-istoryahan (My advice to him is do the job well because it’s his future at stake),” Rep. Duterte said in an interview on July 2, 2025, in The Hague, Netherlands.
The DILG, through Secretary Jonvic Remulla, appointed Rigo as acting vice mayor under Administrative Order No. 15, s. 2018, which covers temporary appointments to vacant local elective positions. Rigo presided over his first session at the Sangguniang Panlungsod on July 1, 2025.
Admitting he felt nervous during the session, Rigo said the support from fellow councilors and his family helped him through.
“Syempre, nakulbaan ko, pero daghan man mutabang sa akoa, daghan nagsuporta (Of course, I was nervous, but many people helped and supported me),” he said in a media interview.
He also expressed hope that his grandfather, former President Rodrigo Duterte, will be able to return to the Philippines and assume his elected post as mayor of Davao City.
Vice Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte has been designated as acting mayor while his father remains in The Hague, where he faces proceedings before the International Criminal Court (ICC) over allegations related to the war on drugs during his presidency.
Rigo Duterte topped the 2025 local elections for city councilor, garnering 119,324 votes—the highest across all three districts.
Rep. Duterte previously served as vice mayor but resigned on December 25, 2017, citing controversies involving his family. Then-councilor Bernie Al-ag succeeded him following his resignation. RGP