DAVAO CITY – Two Duterte allies and long-time politicians are the frontrunners for Davao City’s congressional post in the second district.
Incumbent second district representative Vincent Garcia, running under Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio’s local party Hugpong ng Pagbabago, will face off long-time second district city councilor Danilo Dayanghirang. He is running under Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod, a party formed by Rodrigo Duterte in 2001 and now chaired by Duterte son Vice Mayor Sebastian ‘Baste’ Duterte.
The Garcias have held the second district Congressional post since 1992, starting with the late patriarch Manuel ‘Nonoy’, who was a former Assemblyman for Davao in the Interim Batasang Pambansa in 1984. After finishing his three consecutive terms, Vincent ran for three terms in 2001, 2004 and 2007.
Vincent’s sister Mylene Garcia-Albano ran and won in 2010, 2013 and 2016. He made his comeback in 2019.
In his first term in 2019, Garcia authored 34 House Bills. Among those bills approved is House Bill (HB) 03506 or an Act declaring the Waling‒Waling as the national flower of the Philippines. He also authored an act postponing the May 2020 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections in 2019.
In 2020 Garcia authored the bill granting the City Government of Davao a franchise for its radio station Davao City Disaster Radio DCDR 87.5 FM.
Dayanghirang has been a city councilor since the transition City Council in 1986. This is the second time he is running for district representative after facing off and losing to Mylene Garcia-Albano in 2010.
His legislative record recently has earned controversy such as passing the permit of the Matina Derby cockfight in 2020 that became ‘ground zero’ of COVID-19 transmission, and an ordinance legalizing online sabong.
But Dayanghirang also pushed recently for the creation of another congressional district for Davao City with the city’s growing population, and proposed tax remedies for the business sector during the pandemic.
Dayanghirang is also one of the leaders pushing the Run Sara Run campaign, pushing the mayor to run for President in the 2022 national election
