DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte has been rarely seen in public for the past months, but he has a reason why.
The mayor took the opportunity to address such concern during the city government’s annual Pasko Fiesta opening on Tuesday evening on November 29 at Rizal Park.
“I-take na nako ni nga opportunity nga muistorya sa inyoha kay kahibaw ko nga naa moy mga issue sa akoa e pero klarohon nako dire,” he said.
(I will take this opportunity to speak to you all as I know there are issues raised about me which I want to clarify now.)
The mayor has faced public scrutiny on social media due to his absence when parts of the city were hit by crimes, floods, and fires in the past few months.
“Kahibalo mo bago pa ko nitungtung dire di gyud ko ganahan nga kana bitawng makit-an ko nimo maghatag-hatag og bugas kay naay nasunugan, maghatag-hatag og ingon ani kay naay nabahaan nya pikyuran, ipost nako. Di gyud nako na batasan mao na wa gyud tag mahimo diha ug di mo ganahan ana ayaw nalang ko ninyo botoha,” Baste explained.
(You know, before I came to this post I do not like to be seen giving rice to people hit by fires, to give this and that to flood victims and have my picture taken. That’s not who I am, I can’t do anything about that and if you don’t like that then don’t vote for me next time.)
The young Duterte said that assistance for people hit by calamities is being handled by pertinent offices of the city government, which he believes is the right thing to do rather than having him projected for turning over relief goods.
His view is a marked difference from his father, former president and city mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who through the years has made himself visible during calamities, visiting communities to oversee relief and provide small talk with the common folk which made him popular.
Baste was a media personality prior to his entry into local politics, and his popularity rose alongside his father’s campaign for the presidency. He even had a short travelogue series on a television network.
As mayor, Baste had engaged in a word war over a citizen on social media who criticized his absence on a construction mishap that disrupted tap water service in some barangays.
Duterte raised the issue of alleged fixers managing transactions for building permits spread about fixers managing transactions within the Office of the City Building Officials (OCBO). He clarified that this problem had already been addressed during his tenure as the city’s vice mayor from 2019 to 2022.
“Kahibaw mo kung naistriktohan gyud mo sa compliance pag-abot sa building permit gusto nako mahibaw mo ginaprotektahan lang gyud nato, naku atong lugar,” he added.
(I’ll let you know if you find it hard to accept the strict compliance on getting building permits, I’ll have you know that I want to protect our city.)
The younger Duterte said that as mayor he sees to it that he does things right.
“Pero ako dili ko musugot nga oras nga naglingkod ko dire aning posisyona ni dire sa atong dakbayan di nako mahimo kung unsay tama ug di nako mabarugan unsay tama.”
Davao Today is still gathering information on this issue of building permits.
At the end of his speech before the lighting of the city’s Christmas tree, Baste spoke of his Christmas wish.
“Karong Pasko maghinatagay ta, magkasinabtanay ta mao na akong wish para sa inyong tanan, (This Christmas, my wish is that we help each other and have understanding with one another” the mayor said. (davaotoday.com)
davao city, sebastian duterte
