Earlier this month, our country has again experienced division following the unexpected arrest of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (FPRRD) upon his arrival at NAIA from his Hongkong trip which was immediately followed by transport to the Hague in the Netherlands via a chartered plane. FPRRD was arrested on the strength of a warrant of arrest issued by the International Criminal Court in relation to the extrajudicial killings that purportedly happened during his term as President from 2016 to 2022 as well as his time as Davao Mayor from 2013 to 2016.
Aside from news showing Kitty Duterte’s reactions and thread posts after his father’s apprehension and Senator Bong Go’s pizza scene, social media outlets were filled with remarks of and between Duterte supporters and condemners. There were posts denouncing President Duterte’s war on drugs and the thousands lives it took on one hand, and there were those who justified it claiming that life has been better and the streets had been safer by reason of its implementation.
In this week’s column, we will take a look back on Rodrigo Duterte’s life and rise to power.
Digong graduated from San Beda College of Law, passed the Bar Examination in 1972 and served as prosecutor until 1986. After EDSA People Power, then President Cory Aquino appointed the former as vice mayor of Davao City. Two years thereafter, he was elected as mayor thereof. He held the seat of mayorship from 1988 to 1998. Thereafter, he ran for the position of district representative of Davao in 1998 and won the same. In 2001, just after serving one term as member of the House of Representatives, Digong again vie for the mayoralty position of Davao and won. He held the position for three consecutive term until 2010. In 2010, he ran for vice mayor with her daughter, now VP Sara Duterte, as his running mate. Both Digong and Sara won the said election.
In 2013, Digong again reclaimed the seat that held since 1988 with VP Sara as her Vice Mayor. Then came, 2015, with the impending 2016 Presidential Election, Rodrigo Duterte’s name, out of nowhere, emerged to be one of the top contenders for the position. His supporters were persistent in calling and encouraging Digong to run for president, but latter’s answer was always undecided, he always flip-flopped every time he was asked about his decision.
Then, on October 15, 2015, Duterte, thru one of his most loyal ally, now Senator Bong Go, filed his certificate of candidacy for mayor of Davao. This act shocked and dismayed Duterte supporters as they thought the punisher was no longer considering to seek for a national post. However, just a day after, a certain Martin Dino, a barangay captain from Quezon City, filed his certificate of candidacy for presidency under PDP-Laban, the same party as Rodrigo Duterte.
It was the first time the Filipino people was introduced to the process of substitution. Section 77 of the Omnibus Election Code states xxx If after the last day for the filing of certificates of candidacy, an official candidate of a registered or accredited political party dies, withdraws or is disqualified for any cause, only a person belong to, and certified by the same political party may file a certificate of candidacy to replace the candidate who died, withdrew or was disqualified. The substitute candidate nominated by the political party concerned may file his certificate of candidacy for the office affected in accordance with the preceding sections not later than mid-day of the date of the election.xxx
Speculations about substitution arose when Sara Duterte also filed her COC for the mayoralty seat of Davao City. Then on October 29, 2015, as expected, Martin Dino withdrew his candicacy and named Digong as his substitute which the latter accepted with Alan Cayetano as his running mate.
From that moment, the 2016 Presidential election became a Rodrigro Duterte show. From his notable remark to jetski to the Kalayaan group of islands with only the Philippine flag with him, to his hysterical circus feud with Liberal Party standard bearer, Mar Roxas; Digong instantaneously became a crowd favorite. And who will ever forget about his staunch and unnerving promise to end criminality and drugs in the Philippines with 3 to 6 months upon his assumption to office.
And the rest, as they say it, was history. Rodrigo Roa Duterte won the 2016 Presidential Election with a large margin and became the 16th President of the Republic of the Philippines.
In next week’s edition, the focus of our discussion will be FPRRD’s infamous war on drugs and his ICC trial.