Former President Rodrigo Duterte, who remains in detention at the International Criminal Court (ICC) over allegations of crimes against humanity, has been proclaimed the next mayor of Davao City following the 2025 midterm elections.
Duterte secured 662,630 votes, dwarfing former Cabinet official Karlo Nograles, who garnered 80,852.
His victory marks a dramatic return to local politics, reclaiming the post he held for over two decades before ascending to the presidency.
His son, incumbent Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, also won the vice mayoral race with 651,356 votes, defeating rival Bernie Al-Ag who received 78,893.
Rounding out the Duterte slate, Rodrigo “Rigo” Duterte III—grandson of the former president and son of First District Rep. Paolo Duterte—topped the city council race.
Given his continued ICC detention, legal experts say the position will likely be passed down to Sebastian Duterte as acting mayor under the Local Government Code.
Duterte’s legal counsel, Nicholas Kaufman, said that the ‘overwhelming support’ Duterte has received in the polls implies the people’s desire for Duterte to go back to the Philippines.
“The electorate showed its clear desire for the former President’s return to the Philippines and its total rejection of the Marcos Government’s vain attempt to stamp out his legacy,” Kaufman said in an official statement to reporters.
Duterte, Marcos blocs split Senate race
In the senatorial race, Duterte allies and Marcos-endorsed candidates split the Senate’s “Magic 12,” securing five seats each, with only two slots taken by opposition figures.
Senator Bong Go led the polls with 27,121,073 votes, while fellow Duterte allies Bato dela Rosa (3rd, 20,773,946), Rodante Marcoleta (6th, 15,250,723), Camille Villar (10th, 13,651,274), and Imee Marcos (12th, 13,339,227) completed the slate.
Meanwhile, the Marcos-backed coalition Alyansa secured five Senate seats: Erwin Tulfo (4th, 17,118,881), Panfilo Lacson (7th, 15,106,111), Vicente Sotto III (8th, 14,832,996), Pia Cayetano (9th, 14,573,430), and Lito Lapid (11th, 13,394,102).
Senator Bam Aquino, who placed second with 20,971,899 votes, and Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, with 15,343,229 votes, were the only two candidates from the opposition bloc to break into the top 12.
Meanwhile, Vice President Sara Duterte, who is facing an impending impeachment trial, continues to wield considerable political influence in Mindanao.
Her potential bid for the 2028 presidency is fueling speculation amid the ongoing legal and political turmoil surrounding her family.
Election controversies and voter turnout
In Davao City alone, several complaints were filed with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), ranging from alleged vote buying to reported discrepancies between malfunctioning ACMs (Automated Counting Machine) and delayed ballot transmissions in selected barangays.
Despite these incidents, COMELEC recorded an 82.20% turnout nationwide, translating to 57,350,968 voters out of 69,673,653 registered, marking the highest midterm voter participation in Philippine history.
In a press conference at The Manila Hotel, COMELEC Chairman George Edwin Garcia stated that they were overwhelmed by the number of voter turnout, as they did not expect it to be almost on par with the turnout from the 2022 Presidential Elections (84.2% or 55,431,939 out of 65,831,806 registered voters).
“Ang buong komisyon ay nagulat, inaasahan naman nating dadagsa, pero yung halos ma-reach yung presidential elections noon 2022 — talaga naman pong historic, nag-uumapaw ang kaligayahan ng Comelec sa pinakita ng mga kababayan natin,” he said.
In the 2019 midterm election, the COMELEC set down around 75% voter turnout, proving that there is a significant increase in terms of voters’ participation in this year’s poll.
Garcia also acknowledges the youth’s role in this surge, noting that their desire for a better future is one of the key drivers of this historic turnout.
“Palagay ko po yung challenge sa mga kabataan lagi na kung gusto niyo ng magandang kinabukasan, bumoto kayo. Yung challenge natin sa mga nakatatanda, sabi niyo nag fail na kayo nung nakaraan edi ayusin natin ngayon, ito yung tamang pagkakataon,” he said.
“Yung maging part ka ng magandang simula ay that is the biggest factor that they wanted to be a part of something good for our country,” he added.