DILG to ask ICC if Duterte can take oath as Davao mayor
There will be no “Work from Hague” arrangement for former President Rodrigo Duterte, who won by a landslide when he ran for Davao City mayor in the May 12 elections.
Speaking to reporters in a chance interview in Quezon City on Monday, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla said that while he recognizes the victory of Duterte, the former president needs to be physically present in the country to fulfill his duties as a duly elected government official.
Duterte has been in The Hague since March 11. He is under the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which ordered his arrest in preparation for trying him for alleged crimes against humanity in connection with his drug war.
“We recognize the victory of former President Rodrigo Duterte. He was proclaimed by the Comelec (Commission on Elections) a day after the elections [with an] overwhelming mandate, so we recognize him as the mayor [of Davao City],” Remulla said.
“What I can do is ask for permission from the ICC if our consul can go to him so he can take his oath because he has to take his oath to assume office,” he added.
But at the same time, Remulla raised the fact that Duterte has to be physically present in office to perform his duties. Otherwise, the duly elected vice mayor, Duterte’s youngest son, Sebastian, has to take over.
Under the Local Government Code, the vice mayor will have to exercise the powers of the mayor and perform his/her duties and functions in case of temporary vacancy due to physical and legal reasons.
Among these reasons are leave of absence, travel abroad and suspension from office.
Despite being under arrest, Duterte secured 662,630 votes in the Davao City mayoral race, defeating his former Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, who only got 80,852.
Duterte’s daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, earlier left for Doha, Qatar, before proceeding to The Netherlands in time for her birthday on May 31, according to the Office of the Vice President (OVP).
The OVP said that Sara will be meeting first with the Filipino community in Qatar on May 27 (Doha time). She will be spending her birthday with her father as she will be arriving at The Hague on May 30 and will remain there until June 3.
On her birthday, Sara will join a “peaceful gathering” to be hosted by their supporters in the Filipino community in front of the ICC office, the OVP said. She will return to Manila on June 4.
