Rodrigo Duterte in the Hague: Next week mayor election in his home country

Rodrigo Duterte in the Hague: Next week mayor election in his home country

In the city of Davao in the Philippines, the election campaign as mayor is in full swing, with candidates and their supporters actively promote votes. However, one of the leading candidates is noticeable: Former President Rodrigo Dueterte is 11,000 kilometers away in the Netherlands and is waiting there in custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his process for crime against humanity . This is done in connection with a brutal war against drug dealers, in which thousands of people, including many innocent people, have been killed - and often without the rule of law.

voting right and duterte’s popularity

Despite his absence, this has no influence on the suitability of the 80-year-old for the mayor's office in Davao-a position that he held over two decades. According to the right of voting, only a criminal conviction in a local court can exclude a candidate from the election. Duterte could win the election on Monday thanks to its continuing popularity in the region, where many stood for him to ensure that he provided more law and order from 2016 to 2022 in his two -year term.

experiences of the Davao residents

"I grew up here, and when I was younger, it was very dangerous, there were murders and fights everywhere," reports Ian Baldoza, 46 years old and a loyal supporter of Duterte. "But when I got older, I understood that the killed drug addicts, dealers and problem cases were." He praised Duterte for improving public security, expanding the infrastructure and strengthening law enforcement in this city with 1.8 million inhabitants. "In Davao you never see people spitting on the street or leaving garbage, in contrast to other cities."

The Davao voters and their loyalty

Many voters in Davao have a similar opinion, explains Cleve Arguelles, political scientist and head of the opinion research agency WR Numero. "The arrest by the ICC does not shake the image that the voters of Duterte have. On the contrary, paradoxically, it only increases what Duterte stands for." Baldoza also sees the violence and the dead, which were to be complained about under Duterte's war war, but his Facebook profile is full of pro-Dutere contributions. "We are not looking for a saint, we want a guide with political will, and the Duterte family, especially the patriarch."

The role of the Duterte family

Although Duterte has not yet publicly commented on the election campaign, his daughter Sara, the incumbent vice president of the Philippines, thanked the supporters at a rally on Thursday on behalf of her father. "President Rodrigo Duterte thanks for your love, your persistent support and your prayers that one day he will come back to our country," she said in the pouring rain in Manila. In the midterm elections, thousands of local mandates in the entire archipelago with around 120 million people are to be awarded, from district councils to mayors and legislators.

challenges for the Duterte dynasty

Three generations of the Duterte clan fight for elections. Duterte's son Sebastian, the current mayor of Davao, will be his father Running Mate. His other son, Paolo, is aiming for a re -election in the national congress, while two of Paullos run sons for seats in the local council. But the popularity of Duterte is not invulnerable. His old age and frail health raise questions about the successor within the dynasty, which has not been as solid in recent years as Ramon Beleno, Political Analyst and former professor at Ateneo de Davao University.

political rivalries and scandals

opposing camps within Davaos return, according to Beleno, in the absence of Dutente. This includes descendants of the late former spokesman of the National House, Prospero Nogral, who rekindle a new family rivalry for decades, which is typical of the country-shaped policy of the country. Karlo Nograles runs against Rodrigo Duterte for the mayor's office, while his sister Margarita, a lawyer and emerging Tikok Influencer, challenges Paolo.

reduction of the credibility of the Duterte dynasty

The cracks in the family name of the Dutertes begin to become visible. Vice President Sara Duterte is located in a

future developments for Rodrigo Duterte

Duterte ruled the Philippines for six turbulent years, during which his brutal drug war-over which he bragged open-many young men from impoverished districts cost the life that were shot by the police and snipers. According to police data, 6,000 people were killed - however, human rights groups estimate that the number could be up to 30,000. Duterte's hard approach to drugs brought strong criticism from opposition MPs who initiated an investigation of the killings. In return, Duterte blocked his sharpest opponent and accused some media and To be human rights activists, traitors and conspirators. The ICC has set the next hearing for September 23rd.