Share :

Download PDF :

The Straits Times (13 May 2025)

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was almost certain to be elected mayor of his home city by a landslide on May 12, unimpeded by his detention at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of murder as a crime against humanity.

With 80 per cent of votes counted in an unofficial tally, Duterte, who was taken to The Hague in March over his bloody “war on drugs” that killed thousands of people, was winning the Davao mayoral contest with eight times the votes of his nearest rival.

The victory during nationwide midterm elections is testament to the 80-year-old’s enduring influence in the southern city, owing to his reputation as a crime-buster that earned him the nicknames “Duterte Harry” and “The Punisher”.

Click for more