The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday said that former president Rodrigo Duterte remains a candidate for the mayoral position in Davao City for the 2025 midterm elections, despite his recent arrest on charges of crimes against humanity.
Poll chairman George Garcia said Duterte is still considered a candidate, with his name appearing on the ballot, allowing voters the opportunity to vote for him.
“We will wait if there are any other actions to be taken against Duterte,” Garcia told reporters during an interview.
Garcia said “the law mandates that there must be a final judgment of conviction,” adding “as of now, we cannot specify whether the conviction mentioned refers to one here or if it should be considered a conviction from another country.”
Duterte was taken into custody by the Interpol authorities as he landed in Manila from Hong Kong on Tuesday morning. He was promptly escorted to The Hague to face allegations of human rights violations before the International Criminal Court.