Manila [Philippine], May 14: Despite being detained by the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands, former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte still won the race for Mayor of Davao City (Philippines), according to preliminary results on May 13.
Mr. Duterte served as Mayor of Davao for many years before being elected president in 2016. He was arrested in March for his bloody anti-drug campaign while in office.
At least five candidates backed by Duterte's family are among the front-runners in the race for 12 Senate seats, a better-than-expected showing before the election , according to AP. The result is seen as a boost for Vice President Sara Duterte, Duterte's daughter, ahead of her impeachment trial in the Senate in July for corruption and the attempted murder of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the first lady and the House of Representatives leader.
Ms. Duterte is considered a strong candidate for the presidency in 2028, but if convicted by the Senate, she will be removed from office and permanently banned from running. To be acquitted, she needs the support of at least 9/24 senators. According to TIME magazine , Mr. Marcos' allies are expected to win 6/12 senatorial seats this time. Another surprise is that Mr. Paolo Benigno Aquino, cousin of the late President Benigno Aquino III, is likely to be elected to the Senate, marking the return of the Aquino family to national politics after many years.
Preliminary results show that nearly all members of the Duterte clan are leading in their respective races. Rodrigo Duterte's youngest son Sebastian, the current mayor of Davao, is leading the vice mayor race and is likely to take over as interim leader of the city. The former president's eldest son Paolo is also likely to be re-elected to the House of Representatives, and his two nephews are leading in local races .
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
