45k flock to Dutertes’ annual gift-giving event
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 25 December) – Police estimated around 45,000 Dabawenyos flocked to “Pahalipay sa Pasko,” marking the Duterte family’s first annual gift-giving tradition without its patriarch, former President Rodrigo R. Duterte, who is presently detained in The Hague, the Netherlands.
Vice President Sara Duterte arrived at the family’s ancestral home in Bangkal to personally oversee the gift-giving.
The Davao City Police Office (DCPO) in a press release on Thursday said the event at the ancestral house of the former President was peaceful and orderly due to the coordinated efforts of local police, security and safety clusters, force multipliers, and the active cooperation of the community.
The Dutertes’ annual gift-giving was started by Rodrigo Duterte when he was still mayor of the city. The DCPO described “Pasko Pahalipay sa Taal” as an “annual tradition of the City Government of Davao, which highlights the distribution of gift packs and a short entertainment program.”
It said around 2,800 personnel were deployed to secure the activity.
As in previous years, thousands of residents in the city and in neighboring areas queued for hours, some of them as early as Christmas eve, to receive a food pack.
At around 8:15 a.m., the queue was at least a kilometer long from Ulas to the corner of Central Park Subdivision, the entry point to the Dutertes’ ancestral home.
New arrivals were directed to go to the end of the queue a kilometer away, in the sweltering heat. Those who queued brought umbrellas, hats and shawls to cover their heads.
PCol. Mannan C. Muarip, DCPO acting director, supervised the deployment of security personnel and directed all units to intensify police visibility within the premises and surrounding areas, manage traffic flow, and remain alert against any potential threats or disturbances.
According to the local police, the successful and incident-free Pahalipay sa Pasko “underscores the strong collaboration among law enforcement, local government unit, partner agencies, and the community—demonstrating a shared commitment to preserving peace, order, and public safety during this significant tradition.”
The Duterte family is the most influential political dynasty in Davao, having held various local elective posts for nearly 40 years.
In her statement written in Filipino on Dec. 24, Vice President Duterte said Christmas celebration will be more meaningful “if we share God’s blessings with others—especially those who are struggling in life, the sick, the orphans and the homeless, the victims of calamities and violence, and sectors that suffer from neglect.”
“Let us also always pray for the blessing of peace and stability for our beloved country. Let us remember that a grateful heart is generous, loving, and forgiving,” she said.
The Duterte patriarch was arrested on March 11, 2025 and detained since March 12 in The Hague, the Netherlands, served as the main personality in the previous gift-giving activities.
He is currently detained at the International Criminal Court at The Hague, the Netherlands, where he has been charged with crimes against humanity of murder and attempted murder, committed between November 2011 and March 2019.
During his last ‘Pahalipay sa Pasko’ on December 24, 2024, the Duterte patriarch addressed Dabawenyos, urging them not to abandon his family, particularly in the May 12, 2025 elections.
“Ayaw ninyo biyai ang mga Duterte kay ang mga Duterte wala gyud mi mobiya ninyo sukad niadto. Gitagaan mo og gwapong syudad. Nilambo ang atong syudad, tan-awa karon (Don’t leave the Dutertes because the Dutertes have not left you ever since. You have been given a beautiful city. Our city has progressed, look at it now),” Duterte told his supporters then.
Duterte won as mayor but his seat was deemed vacated on November 13, six months after he was proclaimed by the Commission on Elections as winner of the mayoralty race. Vice Mayor Sebastian Duterte is now Mayor while Councilor Rodrigo Duterte II is now Vice Mayor.
Vice President Duterte expressed the family’s gratitude to their supporters. In Filipino, she gave thanks from former President Rodrigo Duterte; her brother, Congressman Paolo; her other brother, Mayor Sebastian; her nephew, Congressman Omar; her other nephew, Vice Mayor Rodrigo II; and from the entire family including Kitty, “we thank you for your continued support to our family and for your prayers for the release of former President Rodrigo Duterte.” (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
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