1988 Davao City local elections

Local elections were held in Davao City on January 18, 1988, as part of the 1988 Philippine local elections. Elections for a new set of city officials were held under the new Constitution of the Philippines which was ratified in 1987.

1988 Davao City mayoral election

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Mayoral election

Candidate Rodrigo Duterte Zafiro Respicio Jun Pala Party Lakas ng Dabaw LnB Independent Popular vote 100,021 93,676 71,355 Percentage 36.94% 34.59% 26.35%

Mayor before election Jacinto Rubillar Jr. Lakas ng Bansa Elected mayor Rodrigo Duterte Lakas ng Dabaw

Vice mayoral election

Candidate Dominador Zuño Jr. Carmelo Gempesaw Edmund Pamintuan Party UNIDO Lakas ng Dabaw Anti-Communist Party of the Philippines Popular vote 163,404 51,681 31,600 Percentage 64.48% 20.39% 12.47%

Vice Mayor before election Thelmo Dumadag Elected Vice Mayor Dominador Zuño Jr. UNIDO

The Lakas ng Dabaw nominee, former OIC Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, defeated former OIC Mayor Zafiro Respicio of Lakas ng Bansa and independent radio broadcaster Jun Pala.^[1][2]

Background

After the EDSA People Power Revolution in 1986 which toppled dictator Ferdinand Marcos, President Corazon Aquino appointed opposition leader and former Assemblyman Zafiro Respicio as officer-in charge Mayor of Davao City, replacing Elias B. Lopez of the Nacionalista Party. Davao City Assistant City Prosecutor Rodrigo Duterte, a son of the late Davao Governor Vicente Duterte, was named OIC Vice Mayor.^[3] Respicio and Duterte both served until November 1987.

Respicio was heavily favored to win the mayoral election, while opposition figures in Davao City were in search of a viable candidate against Respicio. Aside from President Aquino, Respicio also had the full backing and endorsement of former mayor Luis Santos and businessman Jesus Ayala.

In 1987, Lakas ng Dabaw was organized as the major opposition coalition in Davao City. Former Senator Alejandro Almendras, a staunch pro-Marcos politician and Nacionalista stalwart, was one of its lead convenors along with other pro-Marcos figures such as Lopez and former Assemblyman Manuel Garcia.

Respicio filed his candidacy under Lakas ng Bansa with former city councilor Dominador Zuño Jr. as his running mate. Meanwhile, Lakas ng Dabaw nominated Duterte as its candidate for mayor. Duterte was initially reluctant to run, but he did so upon being convinced by Almendras and Lopez that he could defeat Respicio. Lawyer Carmelo Gempesaw was drafted as his running mate.

Jun Pala, a popular radio broadcaster and key spokesperson of the Alsa Masa vigilante group, also launched his bid for mayor as an independent. Pala named fellow anti-communist crusader Edmund Pamintuan as his candidate for vice mayor.

Results

Mayor

Source:^[4]

Candidate		Party	Votes	%
	Rodrigo Duterte	Lakas ng Dabaw	100,021	36.94
	Zafiro Respicio	Lakas ng Bansa	93,676	34.59
	Jun Pala	Independent	71,355	26.35
	Pedro Castillo	Independent	3,799	1.40
	Elmer Isonza	Independent	1,939	0.72
Total			270,790	100.00

Vice mayor

Candidate		Party	Votes	%
	Dominador Zuño Jr.	United Nationalist Democratic Organization	163,404	64.48
	Carmelo Gempesaw	Lakas ng Dabaw	51,681	20.39
	Edmund Pamintuan	Anti-Communist Party of the Philippines	31,600	12.47
	Cipriano Villafuerte	Independent	6,721	2.65
Total			253,406	100.00