The Cebuano governors of Davao (Part 2)

The next Cebuano who became Governor of Davao (1959 to 1964) was Vicente G. Duterte, born in Danao, Cebu. Vicente was a lawyer who was admitted to the Bar on February 27, 1940. So is his son, Rodrigo Roa Duterte, who was elected mayor of Davao City in 1988 and president in 2016.

Governor Duterte, born on November 23, 1911, was the son of Facundo Duterte and Zoila Gonzales of Danao, Cebu. He married Soledad Gonzales Roa of Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte. She was fondly called as "Nanay Soling"who was born on November 14, 1916 and died on February 4, 2012. Nanay Soling was a teacher and interestingly once taught at the University of the Visayas Danao Campus before migrating to Davao with her husband.It was Governor/Senator Alejandro Durano Almendras who supported Vicente to be elected as Davao governor.

Vicente, before being elected as governor of Davao, also served as mayor of Danao, Cebu after World War II on January 1, 1946. It was Don Sergio Suico Osmeña Sr., the successor president of Don Manuel Luis Quezon, who appointed Vicente Duterte as acting mayor of Danao. (Note: The town became a city by virtue of Republic Act 3028 enacted on June 7, 1961. It was inaugurated on September 17, 1961.)

Vicente's siblings were: Ramon Sr.who married Rosario Regis (of the Regis clan of Carcar, Cebu); Mariano who married Salud Calvo; Soledad who married a Rodis; Jorge who married a Dacayana.

Rodrigo R. Duterte became a lawyer on June 20, 1973 and signed the roll of attorney as a resident of Maasin, Southern Leyte. Four years after passing the Bar examinations, Rodrigo Duterte applied with the Ministry of Justice (now Department of Justice) and was appointed special counsel at the City Prosecution Office in Davao City in 1977, then promoted as fourth assistant city prosecutor in 1979 and second assistant city prosecutor in 1983.

After the People Power in 1986, Rodrigo was appointed officer-in-charge of Davao City in 1988 and ran thereafter and won. From there, lawyer Rodrigo Duterte held the reign of power in Davao City up to the present, with his lawyer daughter, Sara Zimmerman Duterte, who was admitted to the Bar on May 12, 2006, as mayor and a son, Paolo, as vice mayor.

Two members of the Duterte clan, both lawyers as well, became father-and-son mayors of  Cebu City. One was Ramon Duterte Sr. (admitted to the Bar on December 31, 1925), who succeeded Serging Osmeña Jr. in 1957. (Note: A street and school have been named after him in Sitio Banawa, Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City.) A son, Ronald Regis Duterte (became a lawyer on March 2, 1956 and born on January 15, 1934), was no ordinary lawyer. He was a doctor of Laws, and became Cebu City mayor in 1983, succeeding Dr. Florentino Solon (born on September 17, 1931) who resigned to become director of the Nutrition Center of the Philippines. Mayor Ronald Duterte became president of the University of Southern Philippines and served as dean of its College of Law. Mayor Ramon G. Duterte Sr. is the elder of Governor Vicente G. Duterte.

Governor/Senator Alejandro "Landring" Durano Almendras was the son of Paulo Almendras and Elisea Mercado Durano. Landring went to school at the Mindanao Colleges in Davao after World War II. While doing Law studies, he was asked to run for governor of Davao in 1951. He then ran and won. The wife of the legendary political kingpin of Danao, Cebu by the name of Ramon "Noy Amon" Durano married Beatriz Duterte, who was a cousin of Vicente G. Duterte. The sister of Noy Amon named Elisea married Paulo Almendras who is the father of Landring Almendras.

A sister of Governor/Senator Alejandro Almendras by the name of Cecilia Almendras de Paz was appointed OIC governor of Davao del Norte. Cecilia replaced Atty. Jesus T. Abicete who ran for governor in the first general election of 1988 after the People Power. Governor Cecilia held the position for 21 days, until the newly-elected governor, Prospero S. Amatong, assumed office.

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