Duterte family’s hold on Davao provinces weakens

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The Dutertes may have tightened their grip on Davao City during the recently concluded midterm elections, but their hold appears to be slipping away in the provinces of the Davao Region, where mostly administration candidates emerged as winners.

In Davao del Norte province alone, close Duterte ally Pantaleon Alvarez, the outgoing representative of the province’s first congressional district, who ran for vice governor, lost to the daughter of a former ally who ran under the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), President Marcos’ political party.

Alvarez had a falling out with Gov. Edwin Jubahib, who ran for reelection under PFP. Jubahib won with 319,588 votes against Aldu Dujali, who got 231,115 votes.

Jubahib’s daughter Clarice, who also ran under PFP, won with 223,596 votes against Lakas candidate Tete So, who got 166,489 votes. Alvarez, who ran under Partido para sa Demokratikong Reporma (PDR), was third with 136,239 votes.

READ: ‘Work from Hague’: Duterte wins mayor’s race, but can he govern?

Alvarez, whose third term in the House of Representatives would end on June 30, served as Speaker under the administration of former president Duterte until he was ousted, a move reportedly instigated by then Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

Expelled by Hugpong

But in January last year, when President Marcos’ alliance with the Dutertes broke up, Alvarez joined the former president, calling on soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to withdraw their support from the Marcos administration.

In Davao del Norte province’s second district, Jose Manuel “JM” Lagdameo, who ran under PFP, won with 151,155 votes. He is the brother of Antonio Ernesto “Anton” Lagdameo, the Special Assistant to the President, who had a falling out with the Dutertes because he supported the Marcos administration.

Former Davao del Norte Vice Gov. Oyo Uy, one of the officials expelled by Sara Duterte’s Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HnP) following the Maisug rally in the province in April last year, ran for the first congressional district seat and won with 146,182 votes. His closest contender, Nickel Suaybaguio, also of PFP, got 96,810 votes, while Cesar Cuntapay, a candidate of Duterte’s Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP), trailed the count.

In Davao de Oro province, the husband of first district Rep. Maricar Zamora-Mabanglo, another official expelled by HnP in April last year, also won as governor. Raul Mabanglo, the congresswoman’s husband, topped the gubernatorial race.

Impeachment supporter

Zamora-Mabanglo, who ran under Lakas, also won another term for the province’s first congressional district seat, while her ally, Jhong Ceniza, former mayor of Pantukan, won the second congressional district seat.

In Davao del Sur province, Rep. John Tracy Cagas, the only Davao Region lawmaker who voted to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte, got his fresh mandate with 192,569 votes, way ahead of PDP bet Jun Blanco Malaza, who got 80,151 votes.

Reelectionist Davao del Sur Gov. Yvonne Cagas also received a fresh mandate against lawyer AiAi Cagas. Yvonne’s husband, Marc Cagas, won as vice governor.

The Cagas couple, who ran under the Nacionalista Party, had a much earlier falling out with the Dutertes.

In Davao Oriental province, Nelson Dayanghirang Jr. won the first congressional district seat against Pepot Lara of PFP. In the second district, Cheeno Almario of Lakas won against lawyer Sito Rabat of PFP.

For governor, Nelson Boy Dayanghirang, Nelson Jr.’s father, won over incumbent Niño Uy, who ran under the PFP.

In Davao Occidental, Claude Bautista, a known Duterte ally and who ran under the Nationalist People’s Coalition, won in the province’s lone legislative district, where he ran unopposed. His older sibling, Colin, who ran under PFP, won as governor. /cb/abc

(2025/05/15-05:10)