DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 8 May) – A candidate for vice mayor in this city underwent a urine drug test and challenged other local aspirants to do the same “for the peace of minds of the Dabawenyos.”
Councilor Bernard Al-ag took the drug test Thursday morning at the High Precision Clinic in Bajada.
Al-ag is facing incumbent Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, who he directly challenged to also undergo a drug test.
Asked why he underwent the drug test four days before election, he told reporters in Filipino: “It’s important that with the elections drawing near, the people should know that our elected officials are not drug users.”
Al-ag vowed to post the results of the drug test once available.
He again took a swipe at the leadership of Mayor Duterte, son of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is running for city mayor.
“Nahihirapan ang mga taga-Davao sa negosyo, sa services. Very poor ang services ng local government sa lahat ng aspeto,” said Al-ag, who also challenged Baste to a debate.
In a video during his campaign posted by a local media on Tuesday, Al-ag criticized Mayor Duterte for withdrawing from the mayoral race and running for vice mayor instead.
“Niatras, nagpalaban sa papa. Pagtan-aw niya iyang kaatbang si [mayoral candidate] Karlo Nograles, niatras siya,” he said. (He withdrew and let his father run when he knew that Karlo Nograles is running.)
Mayor Duterte, speaking at a rally at Fatima Street here on Wednesday evening, brushed off Al-ag’s challenge.
“Ingon nila, wala ko’y plataporma. Pero naa ko’y resulta. Plataporma, balik-balik lang man na (They say I have no platforms, but I have results. Platforms? Those are just repetitive),” he said.
Duterte did not respond to Al-ag’s drug test challenge.
But addressing Al-ag’s call for a debate, Duterte said: “Daog naman kaha ka? Pa-debate debate pa ka. Mag-dance-off na lang ta (You say you are winning, why dare me for a debate? Let’s just dance off),” before breaking into a short dance.
Duterte referenced the “dance off” to their political rivals Karlo Nograles and Margarita Ignacia “Migs” Nograles, who are running as mayor and first district representative, respectively.
During their barangay-to-barangay campaigns, both Nograleses would dance together with their mascots before making speeches.
“Ganahan mo sa amoa, siguradohon ra pod namo. Botohon mi ninyo, naa ra sa inyoha (If you like us, we will make sure to keep our promises. If you vote for us, that’s up to you),” Duterte said.
Al-ag is running for vice mayor as an independent candidate. He was expelled from Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod (HTL), the local political party founded by the Duterte patriarch.
Al-ag said the HTL’s announcement “was just a mere formality” as he had left the party in 2023 and subsequently resigned as a member of two committees at the city council, in disagreement with the way the current leaders were running the city.
He is the running mate of Karlo Nograles, who is also running as independent. Karlo is the son of the late House Speaker Prospero “Boy” Nograles, Rodrigo Duterte’s long-time political archrival.
Karlo will face the 80-year-old Duterte patriarch, who is now detained at The Hague, Netherlands to face charges of alleged crimes against humanity of murder for deaths linked to his bloody “war on drugs.” (Ian Carl Espinosa / MindaNews)
