Davao City Council Awaits Mayor's Guidance on Vacant Seat
DAVAO CITY - The Davao City Council has not yet begun formal discussions about who will fill the upcoming vacancy in the 21st City Council when Councilor Rodrigo "Rigo" Duterte II ascends to the vice mayor position later this year.
Councilor Alberto Ungab, who chairs the committee on appointments and reorganization, confirmed during the Pulong-Pulong sa Dabawenyos on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, that no consultations have occurred regarding the potential replacement.
"We all know that those particular recommendations would come from the mayor, so, so far, there are no consultations now," Ungab stated at the Sangguniang Panlungsod session.
Premature Discussions and Party Silence
Ungab emphasized that initiating consultations at this stage would be premature, noting that council members prefer to wait for City Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte to begin discussions and consult with councilors about the replacement process.
The councilor also revealed that no talks have taken place within the Hugpong ng Tawong Lungsod (HTL) party regarding possible candidates for the vacant council seat.
"Maybe there are already some suggestions at this point—we don't know," Ungab added, acknowledging the possibility of behind-the-scenes considerations.
District Representation and Kitty Duterte Speculation
In a separate interview, Ungab suggested that since Rigo Duterte represents Davao City's first district, his replacement will likely come from the same district to maintain geographic representation balance.
When reporters asked about the possibility of Veronica "Kitty" Duterte being appointed as councilor, Ungab declined to comment, stating he had no knowledge of any such discussions within the city council.
"I am not going to comment on that because I don't know; I haven't heard about the thing," he firmly stated.
Earlier, when Rigo Duterte himself was questioned about Kitty's potential nomination as replacement councilor, he described the idea as a possibility that requires party discussion.
"Possible, maybe, but we still have to discuss it within the party," Rigo commented.
Impending Leadership Transition Timeline
Rigo Duterte confirmed in an interview that he expects to officially assume the vice mayor post by the end of 2025, following his uncle Sebastian "Baste" Duterte's assumption of the city mayor position.
This political reshuffle results from former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte's failure to take his oath of office for the mayoral position he won in the 2025 elections.
"There is no official update yet, but the lawyers have informed me when exactly," Rigo stated regarding the transition timeline.
He added, "Maybe before December, that was the story told to me. I will take my oath with Mayor Baste, so there is no official date yet."
A joint oath-taking ceremony is planned for both Sebastian Duterte as mayor and Rigo Duterte as vice mayor, though specific dates remain unconfirmed.
Background: The Duterte Succession Framework
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) initiated this leadership transition through a letter dated June 30, directing Baste Duterte to perform mayoral duties to ensure local government continuity.
Citing Section 46(a) of the Local Government Code, the DILG clarified that the designation is both legal and necessary due to former President Duterte's temporary incapacity to assume office.
Under the same succession framework, the DILG designated Councilor Rigo Duterte—the top vote-getter in the 2025 elections with 119,324 votes—as acting vice mayor.
Former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is currently in The Hague, Netherlands, facing proceedings before the International Criminal Court (ICC) concerning alleged crimes against humanity related to his administration's war on drugs campaign.
The Davao City political landscape continues to evolve as the Duterte family maintains its significant presence in local governance, with all eyes now on Mayor Baste Duterte to initiate the council appointment process that will fill the impending vacancy.
