Former Philippine leader Duterte set to win mayoral election from Hague jail cell

The 80-year-old ex-president, who is accused of committing crimes against humanity during his so-called "war on drugs", has a decisive lead in his family stronghold of Davao.

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is set to be elected as mayor of his home city despite being in custody in Europe awaiting trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC).Preliminary results on Tuesday showed that the 80-year-old, who is accused of committing crimes against humanity during his “war on drugs”, had received around 500,000 votes in Davao, nearly eight times as many as his nearest rival. In Duterte’s absence, his youngest son Sebastian, the southern city’s current mayor and the candidate likely to be elected as its vice mayor, is expected to assume his responsibilities. It is unclear how Duterte, who was president between 2016 and 2022, will take the oath of office. Speaking to reporters on Monday, his daughter Sara, who is the Philippines’ serving vice president, said she was in discussions with her father’s lawyers about how best to proceed. Under election law in the Philippines, candidates facing criminal charges can run for office as long as they have not been convicted and exhausted all routes of appeal. Duterte was detained in March and sent to the Hague over a violent drugs crackdown during his presidency that left thousands of people dead. While many in the Philippines believe he has a case to answer, his supporters claim that he is the victim of political persecution by his successor, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, a former Duterte family ally. In the midterm elections on Monday, the Duterte clan appeared to do well not only in their stronghold of Davao but also in the national race for Senate seats. At least five candidates allied to the family were leading in the race for the 12 Senate positions being contested, three more than had been predicted. This could help Duterte’s daughter, Sara, who faces an impeachment hearing in the 24-member Senate in July. She is accused of misusing public funds and threatening the lives of Marcos and his family. If at least two-thirds of senators vote to impeach her, the current vice president will lose her job and be banned from public office for life, denting her family’s chances in the 2028 presidential race. Other Duterte family members were also involved in Monday’s midterm elections. The former president’s eldest son Paolo sought reelection as a congressman, while two of his grandchildren led in local races.