Photo courtesy: Official facebook page of Inday Sara Duterte
The crucial YES and NO votes on the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte has created a political fission nationwide and has not spared Davao Region particularly in Davao del Norte.
While Davao de Oro and Davao del Sur voted Yes it was expected from Maricar Zamora and Jhong Ceniza and Tracy Cagas. Maricar was the first to abandon the Regional Party Hugpong Ng Pagbabago Chaired by VP Inday Sara and joined House Speaker Martin Romualdez the political nemesis of Sara. As far as Jhong is concerned it was clear and indubitable that he will vote Yes given the long list of projects awarded to family-owned Pahati Construction and Supply Company. Among the multi-billion projects that Pahati got from the silver platter is the controversial Saug flood control project which even DPWH Sec. Vince Dizon and the mighty Infrastructure Construction Commission refused to investigate.
John Tracy Cagas has always been a Yes man so let’s just leave him to the better judgment of the Davao del Sur electorates.
But Davao del Norte? In the 2016 Presidential elections, the province gave Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte one of the highest percentages of votes. Then Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario, the first person I knew who egged Duterte to run, and the former 2nd Dist. Congressman Tonyboy Floirendo, had seen to it that the Davao-based Presidential candidate gets the votes. This, even as RDR was with the Liberal Party. It is at this juncture when Bebot Alvarez was resurrected and acted as a rallying point for the Duterte campaign. His entry into the scene created some rift among RDR’s and Tonyboy’s party mates but then the primordial goal was for Duterte to win big in Davao del Norte.
Fast forward to 2026, the political congressional landscape in Davao del Norte has radically changed. Motivated by their personal and political considerations, the political characters no longer consider Regional interest and changed their colors like chameleons. The anti-Duterte-controlled House of Representatives composed of varied political ideologies and common personal agenda had entered into an implausible agenda to bar Vice President Sara Duterte from running for president.
Sara had dominated all surveys despite all the denigrations mounted against her by her political adversaries, paid black propagandists and pseudo political analysts and the mainstream media. The only plausible strategy was to stop her from running and their last option was to impeach her. The House Committee on Justice came into play. It proceeded to accept and draft charges against VP Sara ranging from misuse of ₱125-million Confidential and Intelligence Funds, unexplained wealth, bribery and threats on Pres. BongBong Marcos. Even as these obviously lack supportive evidence the HCOJ went on a fishing expedition to back up the charges. The compilation made up the articles of impeachment which was then presented in the House plenary session to obtain 106 YES votes for it to be elevated to the Senate for trial where it is now lodged and acted.
In the aftermath those who voted YES have gone the mile explaining vainly their stand. It is a winding process to a simple question which can be said in another way: Are you for or against the impeachment of Sara Duterte which if convicted in the Senate hearing will prevent her from running for President? To that question Davao del Norte Representatives Oyo Uy (1st District) and Rep. JM Lagdameo (2nd District) answered “Yes”.
This political event recalls the betrayal and assassination of Roman General Julius Caesar by his most loyal friends who conspired to kill him. The most painful stab of it all came from his most trusted friends Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longus. Thus the unforgettable phrase of disbelief: “Et tu, Brute?” – “You too, Brutus?”
The political fractions in Davao del Norte could, at some point, consolidate political forces and the reemergence of political personalities, not because they wanted to run anew but because of the demanding voices of their constituencies for them to return to active politics .
In Davao de Oro, retired politician, Arturo “Chiongkee” Uy who is now better known as “Papa Gov” and his son, former Gov. Tyrone Uy are overwhelmed by pleadings for them to return to active politics. The elder Uy took an opposite stand from his nephew, Congressman Oyo Uy, and enunciated his earlier call to support Vice Pres. Sara. He and Tyrone have gone into large scale farming among them aiming to plant at least 30,000 high-value durian trees. Papa Gov has also expanded his Mix Temptations restos.
In the 2nd District of Davao del Norte, former congressman Alan Dujali is rumored to make a political comeback and run against incumbent Representative Lagdameo who suffered an onus of backlash following his “Yes” vote to impeach VP Sara. Alan, a diehard member of “Hugpong ng Pagbabago” is currently on a business trip abroad and has yet to issue a statement.
Realignments will characterize the political scenery in the coming months. Perceived earlier to run for Davao del Norte Governor is Panabo Mayor Joe Relampagos and his running mate – former Tagum City Mayor Allan Rellon. That was last month. With Congressman Oyo’s “Yes” vote the air is rife with rumors Rellon will run instead for Mayor of Tagum. This perked up former Speaker Bebot Alvarez to possibly challenge Oyo as Representative of the province 1st District. Meanwhile, a three – cornered fight might still happen in Davao del Norte’s gubernatorial race. Former Governor Anthony del Rosario is on a wait-and-see posture.
See what a “YES” vote can evoke?
