Davao City Council seat vacancy looms as Acting VM Duterte nears oath-taking

Davao City Council seat vacancy looms as Acting VM Duterte nears oath-taking

DAVAO CITY — A vacancy in the Davao City Council is expected to open soon, with committee reshuffles likely, once Acting City Vice Mayor Rodrigo S. Duterte II takes his oath of office.

Councilor Alberto Ungab, who chairs the Committees on Appointments and Government Reorganization, as well as Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, acknowledged the impending changes during the Pulong-Pulong Dabawenyos session at the Sangguniang Panlungsod on Tuesday, November 25.

Ungab said that several committee posts currently handled by Duterte — who remains a sitting councilor until his oath-taking — will automatically become vacant.

“Certainly, there will be some changes,” he said. “If the acting vice mayor officially assumes the post, the committees he currently chairs will be vacated.”

He noted that reassignments are possible but emphasized that the City Council will not preempt internal deliberations.

“This is one likely scenario, but we are not making any speculations at this point,” he added.

“It’s possible that the newly appointed official will handle the vacant committee chairmanships, but again, we cannot speculate.”

When asked about the possibility of Veronica “Kitty” Duterte, youngest daughter of former president and now Mayor-elect Rodrigo Duterte, being considered as a nominee for the vacant council seat, Ungab said he had no information on the matter.

On matters involving the Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod (HTL) party-list, Ungab said discussions — if any — would be internal. He reiterated that rank-and-file members are typically not part of those deliberations.

He clarified that, to his knowledge, any recommendation for the replacement councilor must come from the mayor before being endorsed to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Appointments to elective positions, including those at the barangay level, also require DILG approval, he noted.

Ungab stressed that Duterte remains both councilor and acting vice mayor only in a limited capacity until the formal oath-taking.

“He cannot yet fully exercise the powers of the vice mayor until he takes his official oath,” he said.

Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang, chair of the Committee on Finance, Ways and Means, and Appropriations, echoed Ungab’s position, saying the eventual replacement must come from the HTL party, pursuant to law.

Dayanghirang added that Kitty Duterte is eligible should the party choose to nominate her, as she is a member of HTL, which is chaired by her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Vice Mayor Duterte earlier said his official oath-taking — along with that of his uncle, Acting City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte — may take place on or before December.

Former president Rodrigo Duterte, who won the mayoralty in the May 2025 elections, remains unable to assume office as he is detained at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.

Vice Mayor Duterte also confirmed that the council has not yet discussed possible replacements for his seat but said the nomination will definitely come from Hugpong.