29 candidates respond to Davao Green Vote, mayoral bets absent

Image courtesy of IDIS

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Many key candidates in the Davao City local elections failed to participate in the Green Vote 2025 Survey initiated by the Interface Development Interventions (IDIS) to discuss their position on environment issues affecting the city.

Of the city’s 96 candidates, 77 were invited by IDIS for the survey, but only 29 responded to the survey, with one candidate submitting a response past the deadline.

The Green Vote survey was presented in a forum on April 15, showing none of the five mayoral candidates responded to their survey.

“Silence” from Duterte, Nograles families

None from the Duterte and Nograles political families, seven in total, submitted their response to the survey, which the IDIS described as “unfortunate” as both have broad support bases in the city.

The mayoral candidates—including former President Rodrigo Duterte who is detained at the International Criminal Court, Karlo Nograles, Bishop Rod Cubos, Jonathan Julaine, and Joselito Tan—failed to respond to the survey.

Only one vice mayoral candidate, Marcos Alcebar, participated in the Green Vote while his three opponents—incumbent Mayor Sebastian Duterte, Councilor Bernie Al-ag, and Oyie Soriano-Barcena—did not present any environmental platform.

Only two congressional aspirants responded to the survey – independent candidate Ma. Victoria ‘Mags’ Maglana from the first district and Lakas candidate councilor Javi Garcia Campos from the second district.

Re-electionist first district Rep. Paolo Duterte and his rival PBA Party-list Rep. Margarita ‘Migs’ Nograles snubbed the survey.  Duterte’s son, Omar Duterte who is running for representative in the second district, did not respond as well.

In the third district—home to most of the city’s watershed and ancestral domain areas—none of the congressional aspirants responded to the survey.

IDIS Environmental Research Officer Justin Joshua Pungyan said the lack of participation poses a challenge for environmental advocates.

“Being unresponsive to the survey reflects not just a missed opportunity to present a platform—it also shows how much value candidates place on environmental policies,” he said. “We hope the survey influences voters to choose leaders with a clear direction for sustainability.”

IDIS Executive Director Atty. Mark Peñalver emphasized that Dabawenyos have the right to know where their candidates stand on environmental policies.

“We reached out to all camps several times but received no responses,” he said. “It would have been ideal to have mayoral and vice mayoral candidates respond, but unfortunately, we got none.”

Atty. Romeo Cabarde of Ateneo de Davao University reacted to the “political silence” of candidates.  “Non-answers are not neutral—they are dangerous,” he said. “Some candidates answered with clarity, commitment, and vision. Others hesitated. A few were silent. This tells us who understands that environmental governance is not optional—it is essential.”

Stand of candidates on envi issues

Green Vote 2025 is described by IDIS as “an electoral initiative that highlights the role of local candidates in advancing environmental sustainability through their proposed policies, programs, and initiatives.”

Most of the 29 candidates who responded to the Green Vote are re-electionists and aspirants for the city’s council.  Pungyan said this still matters as the city council is the “battleground” for legislation and review on environmental programs and policies.

The survey noted the results from the 29 candidates on the environmental issues affecting Davao City:

·         19 out of 29 oppose the occupancy of watershed areas for residents, farming and industry while three are in favor and seven have reservations.

·         19 have reservation on putting tourism programs for watershed and conservation areas, 8 are opposed to the idea, while two are in favor.

·         The establishment of waste-to-energy facilities is supported by 18, four are against and seven have reservations.

·         Banning single-use plastics is supported by 23, one is against, and four with reservations.

·         The Davao Bus Project is supported by 25 while four have reservations.

·         A high figure of 26 will support organic farming policies with three having reservations.

·         Ban on aerial spraying in farms is backed by 19 candidates, with eight having reservations and two abstaining.

·         Transition to renewable energy is supported by 27 votes, two with reservations.

·         25 candidates back the local environment code with four expressing reservations.

·         A strong 28 candidates will support institutionalizing the Bantay Bukid, Bantay Tubig and similar programs to protect Davao City’s water sources, with only one not in favor.

·         17 support the Samal Island-Davao Bridge construction, eleven with reservations, one in favor.

IDIS Director Atty. Peñalver observed that while candidates submitted their responses in favor of pushing for environment issues, they need to put this into their platforms.

“It’s good to hear what they say, but we must also look at what they do. Although they answered our survey, we have not heard these issues discussed in their political rallies. It’s possible they only said what they thought we wanted to hear,” Peñalver said.

Atty. Cabarde stressed that while the survey gives voters an overview of candidates’ platforms, “we still

see ambivalence, hedging, and even silence on key issues that demand bold leadership.”

“Environmental politics must not be driven by convenience. Leadership means taking difficult positions—even if they are unpopular with developers, extractors, or those with short-term interests,” he said. (davaotoday.com)