Running against a Duterte in Davao City may look like a losing battle, but not for a seasoned development worker challenging the political clan’s local hold.
Mags Maglana knows exactly what she’s doing. Rather than just being prodded by a legacy or surname to uphold, her bid is informed by decades of experience working with the grassroots of Davao City and Mindanao.
Inside a room full of her volunteers, Mags showed how to use the power of personal communication for their people-driven campaign. For over an hour, she meticulously pointed out their strategies on how to win the hearts of Davaoeños who have been traditionally choosing members of political families.
For other perspectives, Mags lets her supporters raise probable questions that might be raised during in-person campaigns — whether about her or platforms. She has good ears and a sharp tongue, listening intently and providing on-point answers.
This was just a glimpse of the strategies Mags wants to use for her second shot at politics, and another battle against a Duterte.
“Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is still standing up and choosing to stand up and fight in the presence of fear despite feeling fear. And that’s what I want to remind people nowadays,” the 57-year-old aspiring lawmaker said.
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Choosing oneself over dynasties
For her 2025 run, Mags does not only want to position herself as the “alternative” candidate for the 1st congressional district race. Rather, she wants to tell people that they have other choices, that they are not bound to choose bets only from dynasties.
She is on a rematch with incumbent 1st District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte, son of former president Rodrigo Duterte who’s currently detained in the Netherlands over crimes against humanity. The Duterte son defeated Mags in the 2022 race with his over 212,00 votes, compared to the NGO worker’s 14,000 votes.
Apart from Duterte, Mags is facing another contender from a political family. PBA representative Margarita “Migs” Nograles Almario threw her hat into the ring, seeking to reclaim their family’s hold on the city’s 1st district. Two other candidates complete the five-way race in the 1st congressional district: Rex Labis and Janeth Jabines.
“There is something to be said about dynasties because in reality, these dynasties are getting obese because family members are serving simultaneously,” Mags said.
Davao City is home to dynasties like the Nograleses, Garcias, and Al-Ags, but the biggest of all are the Dutertes. At least seven members of the dynasty are in the political arena: incumbent Vice President Sara Duterte and former president Duterte who’s running for Davao City mayor with son Sebastian as his running mate.
Paolo’s two sons — Omar and Rodrigo II — are running as 2nd congressional district bet and for councilor, respectively. Paolo’s wife, January Navares Duterte, is currently serving as the city’s association of barangay captains, making her a default member of the city council.
For 37 years — from 1988 to the present — a Duterte has monopolized the Davao City mayoral post, except for 1998 to 2001 when Benjamin de Guzman served as the local chief executive.
Mags views political dynasties as the contemporary and dominant manifestation of traditional politics in the country. She said it infringes on the right of Filipinos because they do not only limit the options of voters, but also discourages qualified candidates from running.
“The reality here in Davao City and in other places is you cannot run that easy even if you are the most qualified candidate, you cannot run that easy and won’t have a fair chance unless you are backed by a dynasty. That’s why dynasties are really oppressive,” the bet said.
As a candidate who did not come from a political family, nor backed by one, Mags said she never frames herself as a career politician. So her victory, according to her, would favor citizens and not herself alone. As a development worker, Mags learned that a politician may be loved and adored by the people, but citizens should not decide their future based solely on that love and adoration.
“So what are my chances? I’m going to frame it, I’m going to message it as this is our chance, us Davaoeños. If we don’t want to be tied to another dynasty, whether it’s the dynasties of the Dutertes or the Nograleses, we will choose for ourselves,” she said.
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Flavier’s influence
Mags believes in the words of the late health chief and senator Juan Flavier: lawmakers should have advocacy and constituency-building roles, apart from legislation and oversight duties. This is Mags’ interpretation of a lawmaker’s job, and this is how she intends to fulfill her duties if she wins on May 12.
For the aspiring lawmaker, the failure of some representatives to come up with effective bills stems from their failure to listen. Mags said lawmakers must be well aware of the common problems hounding the locals in their communities, so they can come up with viable solutions.
Flooding and traffic have been perennial problems in Davao City. Mags said there are enough studies and master plans to address these problems, but they remain unsolved. The bottleneck could be caused by the government’s choice to fund quick turnaround and highly visible projects that call public attention, instead of addressing the real problems of communities, according to Mags.
As a lawmaker, Mags said she would ensure that the projects in her city — those that address basic problems like flooding and traffic — are included in the government’s General Appropriations Act. This is coming from the realization that not all projects could be shouldered by local governments, so some developments must be taken from the national budget.
Mags also wants to pass an anti-dynasty bill and seeks to reform the country’s party-list system to equalize the playing field in politics. She also wants to focus on the oversight role of legislators — in ensuring that projects and laws are being implemented properly. Mags reiterated that a lawmaker’s job doesn’t end in drafting bills.
“Legislation and oversight cannot be done, I think, effectively, if the lawmaker is out of touch, if they don’t report in their districts, if they don’t talk to and hear people,” she added.
Going into the 2025 race, Mags is still bringing these principles with her. She will also use her learning from 2022 that good platforms alone are not enough — they should be partnered with visibility and recall. Mags believes it’s important to get the word out and be known by the public. She also wants to strengthen her campaign that’s focused on talking to and interacting with people. A highly conversational campaign is effective, Mags said.
“Let’s talk, let’s talk to each other. And as we talk, we will realize that some discussions that are toxic in social media are not necessarily the same in real life,” she added.
Dissenting voice in Duterte country
Mags is a proud lesbian who, for nearly 40 years, has served as an independent consultant to grassroots organizations and political actors. She obtained her philosophy degree from the Ateneo de Davao University and has been an active figure in Davao City’s local civil work since her younger years.
She does not come from a political family, but she’s not the first Maglana who has ventured into politics. Her father, Constancio Maglana, ran against Vicente Duterte, former president Duterte’s father, in the undivided Davao province’s gubernatorial race in 1963. The older Duterte won, but when the province was divided into three, the older Maglana ran and became Davao Oriental’s first lawmaker.
Mags is banking on her anti-dynastic campaign, so she assured her supporters that there would be no Maglana dynasty. She has no children and her other relatives have no interest in politics.
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Mags is candid and proud at the same time about her role as a dissenting voice in a city dominated by political families. But she wants to show everyone that standing up to a dynasty like the Dutertes should not be viewed as an impossible cause.
She said her opposition to a Duterte is part of her exercise of democratic power, which enables her to run in the polls and challenge traditional politicians. Mags loves and believes in democracy. And as Pope Francis noted about the phenomenon of democratic skepticism — or the growing discontent over democracy — it’s important more than ever to fight for good governance, said Mags.
“No matter how flawed, no matter how fledgling it is, democracy is still the best way to lead and the best mode of leadership to ensure our success and achieve our goals,” she added.
As part of the progressives in Davao City, Mags has endured harassment, threats, and even red-tagging. But she fully understands her role to ensure that there is dissent, that there will always be opposition to guarantee checks and balances. Talking about their experience in Davao City, Mags believes that the Duterte family sold the narrative effectively that they transformed a once violence-stricken place into a peaceful city because no one challenged it.
Institutions and people failed to challenge the Dutertes’ claims years ago, Mags said, so it’s important now that some Davaoeños start to speak up and stand up.
“If we don’t speak up now, imagine what the narratives will be 10 years from now…. If they ask, 10 years, 12 years from now, what was Davao like in 2022, 2025?” Mags said, adding, “What images would they see? What narratives would persist? So it’s important to speak up, provide different perspectives, and to challenge dominant narratives.”
Change could be daunting for some people, like for Davaoeños who have embraced the Duterte brand of politics for nearly four decades. But Mags said she’s here to tell people about the realities of the world beyond politics, beyond the Dutertes.
“We need to remind everyone that a world without Duterte is not scary. A world without dynasties is not something to be afraid of. What’s fearful is a world full of dynasties, which could lead to the rise of a dictator,” Mags shared.
She’s in for a stiff battle, but Mags is holding on to her promise to herself that she will remain a public servant in her home city.
“At the end of the day, you fight for what you love. If you love the city and you love your people, you’ll fight for them. You will not fight for a dynasty which you think loves you, but in fact, only uses you to continue their vested interests and political careers,” Mags said.
“We love Davao [City]. And it’s that pride of place and love of place that’s encouraging us, that’s driving us not to concede Davao to the dynasties. This is not a Duterte country. This is a place of Davaoeños. We still have a chance to clarify our choices moving forward.” – with research from Andrei Rosario and Hannah Andaya/Rappler.com
Quotes were translated into English for brevity
Andrei Rosario and Hannah Andaya are Rappler interns. Learn more about Rappler’s internship program here.