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Baste Duterte Takes Oath as Vice Mayor of Davao City Amid Family Controversies

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Baste Duterte, the son of former President Rodrigo Duterte, took the oath as vice mayor of Davao City amidst his family's controversies, including the ongoing trial of his father for crimes against humanity in The Hague. Despite his father's detention, Baste is expected to assume the role of acting mayor based on succession. Vice President Sara Duterte, his sister, stated that the legal team of their father is still exploring options for the mayor-elect. Baste won the vice-mayoral race with a landslide victory in May, succeeding outgoing Vice Mayor J. Melchor Quitain.

Key Takeaways:

  • Baste Duterte took the oath as vice mayor of Davao City on June 27, amidst his family's controversies, including the trial of his father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, for crimes against humanity in The Hague.
  • Baste won the vice-mayoral race with a landslide victory in May, succeeding outgoing Vice Mayor J. Melchor Quitain.
  • Baste may assume the role of acting mayor based on succession, pending the outcome of his father's trial and the exploration of options by the legal team.
  • The Dutertes are facing criticism due to the alleged "obese dynasty" they have become, with multiple family members holding local posts, including Vice President Sara Duterte, Congressman Paulo Duterte, and others.
  • The family is also dealing with internal issues, including the impending impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte for alleged corruption, bribery, and other high crimes, and the probe of Congressman Paulo Duterte for assault and harassment.
  • Baste highlighted the progress of Davao City under his leadership, including an increase in the city's income from P5.1 billion in 2022 to P5.9 billion in 2024, and a rise in Davao City's GDP from P495 billion in 2022 to P532 billion in 2023.
  • The city's tourism industry contributed to the increase in income, with over 1.8 million tourist arrivals in 2024, more than double the 897,406 recorded in 2022.

Statistics:

  • Davao City's income increased from P5.1 billion in 2022 to P5.9 billion in 2024.
  • Davao City's GDP rose from P495 billion in 2022 to P532 billion in 2023.
  • The city's tourism industry attracted over 1.8 million tourist arrivals in 2024, more than double the 897,406 recorded in 2022.
  • Davao City gathered almost P263 billion worth of investments in 2024.
  • The number of registered businesses in Davao City grew from 44,935 in 2022 to 46,964 in 2024.

Sources:

  • "Baste Duterte takes oath as Davao City vice mayor". (2024)
  • "Davao City's economy grows with P5.9 billion income in 2024". (2024)
  • "Duterte family's 'obese dynasty' in Davao City faces criticism". (2024)
  • "Baste Duterte highlights progress of Davao City". (2024)

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