Former President Rodrigo Duterte’s commanding lead in the Davao City mayoral race reflects public opposition to efforts seeking his arrest before the International Criminal Court (ICC), his lawyer said Tuesday.
Based on partial and unofficial results from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as of 10 a.m., Duterte received 539,141 votes, far ahead of his opponent, former Cabinet official Karlo Nograles, who has 65,090.
“The solitary ballot paper of Rodrigo Duterte is of less significance than the overwhelming support expressed for him today at the polls,” said Nicholas Kaufman, Duterte’s legal counsel, in a statement.
“The electorate showed its clear desire for the former President’s return to public office and its total rejection of the Marcos government’s vain attempt to stamp out his legacy,” he added, referring to the administration’s earlier decision to cooperate with the ICC’s investigation into Duterte’s drug war.
The ICC has given parties until May to submit observations on the challenge to its jurisdiction filed by Duterte’s legal team. The former president is facing possible international prosecution over alleged human rights violations during his anti-drug campaign.
Meanwhile, Duterte’s allies continue to perform strongly in the senatorial race. With 80.51 percent of election returns counted, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, a longtime aide of Duterte, is currently leading with 21.78 million votes.
Other candidates aligned with the former president who are within the top 12 include Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, Rep. Camille Villar, and Senator Imee Marcos.
Vice President Sara Duterte, the former president’s daughter, earlier said she had informed him that their political bloc was likely to win at least two Senate seats.