Vice Mayor Sebastian Z. Duterte
(Inaugural address of Vice Mayor Sebastian Duterte during the oath-taking ceremony of elected Davao City officials at the Sangguniang Panlungsod on Friday, 27 June 2025. Vice Mayor Duterte will serve as Acting Mayor because his father, who was elected for an 8th term as Mayor in the May 2025 polls, is presently detained in The Hague, the Netherlands to face charges of alleged crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court.
Rodrigo Duterte was proclaimed the winning mayoral candidate on May 13, 2025. He has not taken his oath of office and has not filed his Statement of Campaign Expenditures.
Meanwhile, Sebastian will serve as Acting Mayor while the number one councilor, Rodrigo II, will serve as Tenporary Presiding Officer of the Sangguniang Panlungsod).
Maayong adlaw kaninyong tanan.
We are here to honor the trust that our fellow Dabawenyos have given us. We owe this renewed mandate to everyone who believes in transparency, accountability, peace, and security. Despite facing the administration’s machinery in the last elections, Davao City emerged victorious.
Money did not win – principles did. Those who sought to divide us were all defeated. We crushed them. This resounding victory was not only felt in Davao City but also echoed in key cities across Visayas and Luzon. For that, we are forever grateful.
Now, we turn our focus to the work ahead.
The past three years have been remarkable for Davao City. We thank our barangay officials, our safety and security cluster, the entire workforce of the City Government, and our hardworking DCplinadong Dabawenyos. We have come this far because of all of you.
The city’s income continues to grow-from P5.1 billion in 2022 to P5.9 billion in 2024. Our gross domestic product (GDP) has significantly increased, from P495 billion in 2022 to P532 billion in 2023, reflecting the strength of our local products and economy.
Our tourism industry continues to bounce back. We reached over 1.8 million tourist arrivals in 2024-more than double the 897,406 recorded in 2022. Most notably, more than P263 billion worth of investments were made in Davao City in 2024 alone-P10 billion more than in 2022. The number of registered businesses also rose, from 44,935 in 2022 to 46,964 in 2024.
Davao City remains insurgency-free, and we continue to operate debt-free. The prudent use of the people’s money has allowed us to strengthen our emergency response services, advance digitalization,and expand education and health services.
These efforts underscore our commitment to ensuring that government funds-sourced from Dabawenyos-are returned to Dabawenyos through tangible and meaningful projects.
Sustaining this momentum is everyone’s responsibility. From this day forward, everything we do must promote socio-economic growth and improve the quality of life for all.
As we open the 21st Davao City Council, we will introduce legislation focusing on health, peace and order, housing, food security, and digitalization.
We will allocate a substantial budget to education, targeting increased scholarships for poor and deserving Dabawenyo students. We will earmark more funds to build additional classrooms and learning facilities. We must invest in our future by investing in the education of our children today.
Let it be clear: we will protect Davao City. Our policies are straightforward- criminals are not welcome here.
We are here to implement the law. We expect everyone to comply with the city’s laws and policies to ensure order in our communities. We will not compromise the future of our city for anyone’s personal interest.
We will continue to teach our children the value of honesty and discipline. A peaceful and orderly city is the product of our respect for the law. We would not be enjoying Davao City today if not for the landmark ordinances and policies crafted by our predecessors. We must honor them by ensuring that these are sustained for the benefit of our children.
We will not give you a government that tolerates abuse or wrongdoing. Government exists to ensure equal opportunity and justice for all-whether you are rich or poor. But Dabawenyos, you must do your part: work honestly and obey the law. Together, we will build a just and fair society.
Selfishness and greed keep us from moving forward as a nation. Money can build communities, but it can also destroy them. As citizens, we must hold fast to our values and principles. Put the welfare of the people first. Think of our children’s future. Work to leave them a city that is rich, just, and sustainable.
To my fellow public servants: never forget the will of the people that brought us here. We must always listen to our constituents. We need to be even more proactive, and we must address community concerns swiftly and sensibly.
To my fellow Dabawenyos: we ask for your continued cooperation as we move toward a more secure and productive future. We know Davao City better than anyone else.
We know its strengths, and we also acknowledge its weaknesses. Its growth and success rely on all of us. People in government cannot do this alone. We all need to do our part and contribute to nation-building.
The day will come, when our forefathers will look upon us with pride, knowing we protected the city they built and led it to even greater heights.
Daghang salamat.