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Edith Regalado - The Philippine Star
January 24, 2026 | 12:00am
Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte delivers a speech during the Hakbang Maisug Leader’s forum in Davao City on January 28, 2024.
STAR / Diana Lhyd Suelto
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Sebastian “Baste” Duterte yesterday took his oath as mayor of Davao City replacing his father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is detained in The Hague.
Aside from Baste, his nephew, Rigo Duterte, also took his oath as vice mayor for having garnered the highest number of votes for city councilor during the 2025 midterm elections.
The former president was arrested in March over supposed crimes against humanity filed against him before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
He has not returned since, especially to his hometown in Davao City, where he and Baste won the mayoral and vice mayoral races in May.
The ICC rejected Duterte’s plea to allow him to return to the Philippines.
Since Duterte cannot perform his duties as mayor, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, and the Commission on Elections gave the green light for Baste and Rigo to assume as mayor and vice mayor of Davao City, respectively.
