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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Baste is Davao City's acting mayor if dad can't take oath in The Hague—VP Sara

Baste is Davao City's acting mayor if dad can't take oath in The Hague—VP Sara

Published Jun 29, 2025 11:36 am
Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte will assume the role of acting mayor if former president and Davao City Mayor-elect Rodrigo Duterte fails to take his oath of office by noon of June 30, Vice President Sara Duterte said.

Sebastian
Sebastian "Baste" Duterte takes his oath of office as Davao City vice mayor during the inaugural ceremony for newly elected officials on June 27, 2025. Also in the photo is Vice President Sara Duterte and their mother, Elizabeth Zimmerman. (Photo from Lance Duterte via Facebook)
“Okay, si former president and now Mayor-elect Rodrigo Duterte, he has until noon of June 30 to take his oath. And if he doesn't take his oath on June 30, then it will be Vice Mayor Baste who will be acting mayor of Davao City,” she explained during an interview in Davao City on June 27.

The Vice President, however, said that she hasn’t discussed with her father how he would take his oath.

She was recently in The Hague to celebrate her birthday with the former chief executive.

“No. I have not discussed recently with former president Duterte about taking his oath. I think this is a matter that has been discussed between president Duterte and his lawyers,” she disclosed.

“But we really do not know what are the discussions between lawyers and former president. So, we wait if he takes his oath or he doesn't take his oath, then we will have a situation where Davao City will have an acting mayor,” the official added.

Under the existing rules on succession in local government, the vice mayor will automatically assume the role of acting mayor until the elected mayor takes the oath of office.

The former president, who won as Davao City mayor in the recently held 2025 elections with son Baste as vice mayor-elect, is currently detained at the International Criminal Court (ICC) Detention Center in Scheveningen, The Hague for charges of crimes against humanity of murder.

Still, Duterte expressed hope that her father can take his oath.

“As a Dabawenyo, yes. I hope and pray that he will take his oath because I voted for him. I wanted him to be mayor of Davao City, so that is my prayer,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Vice President expressed her gratitude to Dabawenyos for the victory of the Duterte clan’s Hugpong ng Tawong Lungsod, citing the victories as an “affirmation of the leadership” of her father and brother Sebastian.

She also commended the wins of Reps. Paolo Duterte for 1st District, Omar Duterte for 2nd District, and Isidro Ungab for 3rd District.

The Vice President reminded the reelected and newly elected officials under their party “to be always faithful” to their duties, office, functions, and positions.

“And then next that they will stand firmly by the legal orders, laws and decrees of duly constituted authorities in our country. And of course, that they be faithful to their own and that they are not --- they have no purpose of evasion in their own,” she advised.

Asked if the resounding win of the members of the Duterte family in Davao City can translate to a possible 2028 presidential victory, the Vice President admitted that “it is difficult to speculate, ‘no, whether the midterm elections will affect the 2028 presidential elections.”

Related Tags

The Hague Davao City mayor oath-taking Rodrigo Duterte Baste Duterte VP Sara Duterte
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