Cebu Duterte core supporters slam politicians for ‘riding’ on his name

Mendez calls out Mike Rama, asks: 'Diin man na siya pagsugod sa 2016?'

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Core supporters of former President Rodrigo Duterte slammed local and national politicians for allegedly exploiting Duterte’s cause for their electoral campaigns ahead of the 2025 midterm elections.

Edward Mendez, who introduced himself as a former campaign strategist and ex-Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) Laban Cebu president, said that the movement established by Duterte’s earliest supporters was rooted in a genuine cause and should not be co-opted by politicians seeking to advance their own agendas, especially ahead of the 2025 midterm elections.

Mendez, who claimed to have played a crucial role in Duterte’s 2016 presidential campaign, accused certain politicians of opportunism, aligning themselves with Duterte’s legacy not out of loyalty or shared principles, but as a strategy to gain voter support.

READ: Duterte supporters hold rallies in Cebu

He argued that while public backing for Duterte remains strong, politicians attempting to exploit this sentiment for personal electoral gain risked diluting the true essence of the movement.

“We welcome anyone who wants to join the movement, but do so as Filipino citizens, not as politicians,” Mendez said in a press conference on March 26.

“Ang challenge man gud, daghan unta musuporta sa kausa ni Presidente Duterte, pero once na gane nga usa ka politiko motungtong na sa entablado unya mangampanya na para sa iyang political interest, malubog man gud ang kausa,” he added.

(The challenge is that many would support President Duterte’s cause, but once a politician steps on stage and starts campaigning for their political interest, the cause gets muddled.)

Example: Mike Rama

Mendez, now unaffiliated with PDP-Laban, mentioned that their core group had been rallying behind Duterte even before he was widely recognized in the 2016 elections.

He lamented that many politicians who previously distanced themselves from Duterte are now attempting to align themselves with his legacy for political leverage.

READ: Rama on Duterte-Marcos word war: ‘It’s not fair to those who supported UniTeam’

He particularly pointed to former Cebu City mayor Michael Rama as an example.

“Mayor Mike, nigamit man sad na siya sa iyang kampanya karon. Pero diin man siya pagsugod sa 2016? Sa among paningkamot sa una, klaro man kinsa ang nitabang og kinsa ang wala,” he said.

(Mayor Mike is also using it in his campaign now. But where was he when it started in 2016? In our efforts before, it was clear who helped and who didn’t.)

Mendez recalled that in 2016, their group worked tirelessly to campaign for Duterte without political backing.

He noted that during that time, Rama’s campaign materials were even replaced with posters supporting another presidential candidate.

“Back then, Duterte had no mayor supporting him in Cebu. It was us, the ordinary people, who ran his campaign,” he added. “Karon, di na unta gamiton nga mag ‘Pa-Digong Digong’ ta kay popular ang kausa sa presidente.”

(Back then, Duterte had no mayor supporting him in Cebu. It was us, the ordinary people, who ran his campaign. Now, it shouldn’t be used just to act like a ‘Digong supporter’ because the president’s cause is popular.)

READ: Duterte kin press habeas petition, cite OSG recusal

RAMA: Outsiders should not interfere

In a separate interview with the media on Wednesday, Rama dismissed Mendez’s accusations. He questioned the legitimacy of his claims and the core supporters’ connection to Duterte.

Rama argued that Mendez and his group were not privy to high-level discussions involving Duterte and should not concern themselves with matters they did not fully understand.

He insisted that certain political dealings were discussed “sa ibabaw” (at the top level) and that outsiders should not interfere.

The former mayor also cast doubt on whether Mendez and his group had any direct communication with Duterte in the past.

“Do they have direct contact with PRRD before? I don’t think so—murag wala na sila. Mao na’y tinuod,” he said. (I don’t think they have. That’s the truth.)

Rama further asserted that he had engaged in discussions and political dealings with Duterte during his visits to Davao. While he refrained from engaging in a direct argument with Mendez’s group, he urged them to be “more circumspect” in their statements.

He also downplayed any internal conflict within Duterte’s supporters and suggested that differences in opinion should not lead to division.

“If they are talking about the return of Digong, dili lang ko mo-argue ana kay lahi-lahi man ta. Dili ta kinahanglan mag-away,” he said.

(If they are talking about the return of Digong, I won’t argue about that because we all have different views. There’s no need to fight.)

March 15 Unity Walk

Mendez noted that the March 15 Unity Walk at Plaza Independencia, meant to be a show of solidarity for Duterte, was tainted by political agendas.

“Daghan unta mokuyog pero gisakyan ug politiko, so ninglakaw na ang uban,” he said.

(Many would have joined, but since politicians took advantage of it, some left.)

He emphasized that while the Duterte movement remains strong, politicians’ involvement in these gatherings with personal motives could turn off genuine supporters in Cebu.

“People are more discerning now. If you use Duterte’s cause for personal gain, it may backfire on you,” Mendez warned.

Meanwhile, Moises Garcia Deiparine, founder of the Duterte Riders Team, called out that appointees and beneficiaries of Duterte’s administration have remained silent while ordinary supporters continue to stand firm.

“The appointees of Duterte should have been the ones speaking out, but they remain silent. It is us, the ordinary people, who continue to fight for him,” Deiparine said.

Duterte’s arrest

Mendez’s statements come in the wake of Duterte’s arrest on March 11, 2025. The former president was transported to The Hague, Netherlands, following an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over human rights violations linked to his administration’s drug war.

Duterte’s arrest has triggered nationwide and international responses, with supporters rallying to defend him, while critics point to the gravity of the charges against him.

Despite this, Mendez reiterated that the core movement is focused on protecting Duterte’s legacy and not on advancing any politician’s agenda.

“This is a long fight, og primero lang ni nga bugso (this is just the first wave),” Mendez said.