(A look back on the year that was in Mindanao, and Mindanawons in the national and international scene.)

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 04 January) — Political dynasties continue to rule Mindanao’s 28 provinces and 33 cities as voters gave their mandate on May 12 for yet another three-year term of office until 2028, the most prominent among them the expanded Duterte dynasty in Davao City.

Members of the clan easily became Mindanao’s national and international newsmakers in 2025, particularly the patriarch who was arrested in March and detained in The Hague, the Netherlands for alleged crimes against humanity, and the daughter-Vice President who was impeached in February for alleged graft and corruption, among others.

Duterte’s arrest and detention

The Duterte patriarch — former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte — was arrested morning of March 11 upon arrival from Hong Kong, flown to The Hague in the Netherlands late that evening and detained there since March 12 to face charges of crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The arrest and detention triggered protests from Duterte’s supporters in Davao City where he served as mayor for 22 years, other parts of the Philippines and among overseas Filipino workers, especially during his 80th birthday on March 28. Supporters chanted “Bring him home.”

Duterte’s first and only appearance in the ICC in 2025 was on March 14, through a video link from the ICC Detention Centre within the Scheveningen prison complex in The Hague, 1.5 kilometers away from the ICC headquarters. The all-women Pre-Trial Chamber convened to “verify the identity of the suspect” and to inform him of the charges against him and of his rights under the ICC Rome Statute. The date for confirmation of charges was set for September 23. This did not push through upon the request of Duterte’s counsel who claimed his client is “not fit for trial.”

A day earlier, on September 22, the ICC released a public redacted version of the July 5, 2025 Document Containing the Charges which specified that the 80-year-old Duterte is facing three counts of murder as a crime against humanity, involving at least 76 deaths during his bloody war on drugs — 19 in Davao City while serving as mayor from 2013 to 2016, and 57 while serving as President between 2016 and 2018.

But the ICC noted that the number of victims is only a “representative sample” of the thousands believed to have been killed extrajudicially within the period.

The Prosecution charged Duterte for the 76 murders and two attempted murders “although the actual scale of victimization during the charged period was significantly greater, as reflected in the widespread nature of the attack,” the ICC said.

The ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber 1 rejected Duterte’s petition for interim release in September. His lawyer appealed but the appeal was denied in November. In December, an independent panel of medical experts unanimously declared Duterte fit to stand trial.

8th term as mayor

When he was arrested, Duterte was preparing for the 45-day campaign period, having filed his certificate of candidacy for mayor in October last year. Duterte campaigned in absentia, for an 8th term as mayor, won a landslide victory against his opponent, Karlo Nograles, and was proclaimed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) winner in absentia on May 13.

Duterte, however, lost the mayoralty as his seat was deemed vacated on November 13 for failure to take his oath of office within the six-month period.

His son, Sebastian, Vice Mayor from 2019 to 2022 and Mayor from 2022 to 2025, was Duterte’s running mate. In the absence of the patriarch, Vice Mayor Duterte assumed the post of Acting Mayor on June 30. On November 13, he assumed the post of Mayor while his nephew, Rodrigo Duterte II aka Rigo, who topped the council race, assumed the vice mayoralty post he vacated.

The Council seat vacated by Rigo has not been filled as of January 4. In the May 2025 election, the Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod (HTL) party of the Dutertes fielded nine candidates for the eight council seats. The ninth placer then was HTL candidate TJ Braga Corsino, grandson of long-time councilor Pilar Braga.

Under the law, the party recommends the replacement. By January 13, it would have been two months since the vacancy. Some say Corsino would be the replacement but the other frequently mentioned name is another Duterte — Veronica — the patriarch’s youngest among his four children and the only child with partner Honeylet Avancena.

Sara’s impeachment

A month before Duterte’s arrest, his daughter, Vice President Sara, was impeached on February 5 by the House of Representatives, after 215 members signed the impeachment complaints alleging misuse of confidential funds, graft and corruption, and betrayal of public trust.

The 1987 Constitution provides that after the House transmits the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate, “trial by the Senate shall forthwith proceed.”

It is the Senate that has the sole power to try and decide all cases of impeachment.

The Senate adjourned in February, the national mid-term elections were held in May and sessions resumed in June without trying the case, prompting a barrage or criticisms and debates on how “forthwith” should be interpreted. The Senate on June 10 remanded the Articles of Impeachment back to the House.

By June 30, the newly-elected senators and representatives took their oath of office.

On July 25, the Supreme Court en banc, citing violation of due process and the one-year rule on impeachment complaints, declared as “unconstitutional” the House of Representatives’ Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte, and ruled that the Senate cannot proceed on hearing the case.

In its 97-page decision penned by Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, the Court said it is “not absolving Vice President Duterte from any of the charges against her” but said any subsequent impeachment complaint “may only be filed starting February 6, 2026.”

Even before her impeachment, Sara’s supporters had pushed for a “Protect Sara” campaign by ensuring victory of at least nine Duterte-supported senatorial candidates in the May 2025 polls. She needs at least nine votes to secure an acquittal.

Mindanao delivered the votes for the Duterte-supported senatorial bets.

Paolo’s branch

Rodrigo Duterte’s firstborn, Paolo, has expanded the Duterte dynasty by building his own.

Paolo won a third and last term as 1st district Representative in the May 2025 elections and gained control of the city’s second district by fielding his eldest son, Omar, to run for Representative against Councilor Javi Garcia Campos. Omar won against Campos in the district represented by the Garcias in the post-EDSA elections since 1987.

To secure the first district, Paolo fielded another son, Rodrigo II (Rigo) to run for Councilor. Rigo got the highest votes for councilor among the three districts and served as Acting Vice Mayor while elected Vice Mayor Sebastian Duterte was serving as Acting Mayor. By November 13, Sebastian assumed the post of Mayor and Rigo assumed the post of Vice Mayor.

Paolo and Sara are ending their terms of office on June 30, 2028. Paolo’s wife, January, who succeeded him as chair of Barangay Catalunan Grande, ends her extended term of office as soon as the winners in the November 2026 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections shall have taken their oath.

All together, there are four incumbent officials in Paolo Duterte’s household: Paolo, January, Omar and Rigo. Two other incumbent Dutertes are Sara the Vice President, and Harold, a relative who represents the Puwersa ng Pilipinong Pandagat (PPP) party list in Congress.

No show in boxing match

In July, Acting Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte challenged Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III to a boxing match.

The mayor first threw the challenge in his “Basta Dabawenyo” podcast, which was aired on July 20 and reposted on his Facebook page.

“Kung gusto mo harassin ako, harassin mo lang ako. Kasi matapang ka lang naman, you have the position eh. Pero kung magsuntukan tayo, alam ko makaya kita… You’re a coward. You are nothing without your position, sa totoo lang,” (If you want to harass me, go ahead. You’re brave only because of your position. But if we engage in a fistfight, I can take you down… You’re a coward. You are nothing without your position, truth be told), Duterte said.

Torre was the regional police chief based in Davao City who led the operations to arrest the Duterte patriarch’s spiritual adviser, Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, in 2024. He also led the operations to arrest former President Duterte at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport upon his arrival from Hong Kong on March 11 and sent him to The Hague late that evening to face charges of crimes against humanity in connection with his bloody war on drugs.

In accepting the challenge, Torre named the place and date: Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City on Sunday, 27 July, for 12 rounds of boxing, with the great Manny Pacquiao no less as referee.

But he said it should be a “charity boxing match,” the proceeds to help victims of the recent typhoon and the floods.

“It’s a good opportunity para makatulong sa ating mga kababayan. Kaya sigurado marami ang sponsors nito. All the proceeds that we raise will be donated to charity,” he told reporters.

Acting Mayor Duterte, however, was a no show. He flew to Singapore on July 25, two days before the scheduled match.

He announced through his pre-taped podcast aired evening of July 26, that he will not show up on July 27, citing “family day” as reason.

“Tuesday or Wednesday or any weekday,” he said.

Duterte said the charity framing was suspicious. “If you really just want a fight, why do you even need the floods for charity?”

Torre showed up on the 27th at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, the venue of the match. He was declared the winner by default.

The event raised at least ₱20 million in cash and donated goods. (Carolyn O. Arguillas with reports from Ian Carl Espinosa / MindaNews)