VICE President Sara Duterte confirmed that former President Rodrigo Duterte was unable to vote in the 2025 National and Local Elections (NLE).
“Hindi siya pwede makaboto since hindi naman siya naka register sa absentee voting (He couldn’t vote because he wasn’t registered for absentee voting),” she said during a media interview on Monday morning, May 12, 2025, at Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High School in Davao City.
Sara said that her father’s lawyer sought permission from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to allow him to vote outside the absentee voting process—the only possible option available. However, the request was denied, and Rodrigo was unable to exercise his right to vote.
The Vice President added that she is currently in discussions with the International Criminal Court (ICC) lawyers and Rodrigo’s Philippine legal team. She said that if proclaimed, the former president intends to take his oath as mayor of Davao City.
Once the proclamation papers are issued, she said, his legal team will reconvene to finalize the next steps. They have until June 30, 2025, for Rodrigo to be officially sworn in. If elected, he will serve as an absentee mayor, with the vice mayor temporarily fulfilling his duties.
Sara said there are no legal obstacles to FPRRD’s proclamation, even if he is physically absent, as this situation is covered by the Local Government Code.
VoxPop Davao reached out to Comelec-Davao Region to clarify whether Rodrigo Duterte’s inability to vote would affect his candidacy for mayor, but as of press time, the office has not issued a response.
When asked about FPRRD's preferred senatorial candidates, Sara shared that he supported “more than two” with a realistic chance of winning.
She also revealed that FPRRD had asked her to focus on his case after the elections. While she intends to do so, she emphasized that she must first complete key projects under the Office of the Vice President, including the Pagbabago Program, which is scheduled for rollout at the end of the current school year.
Sara also had plans to return to the Netherlands with her mother, Elizabeth Zimmerman, to celebrate her birthday with her parents. Coinciding with her birthday, they plan to hold an “ICC Bring Him Home” event in The Hague. She shared that her two birthday wishes are for the PDP–Laban senatorial slate to win and for her father to be released from detention.
The Vice President also expressed concern about her father’s condition while in custody, saying she worries most about the risk of him falling, especially since he is elderly and without any assistants in the facility. She noted that falls are a common hazard for seniors.
To recall, Rodrigo Duterte was detained and taken to The Hague after a trip to Hong Kong. He made his first appearance before the International Criminal Court judges on March 14, 2025. RGP
