Detained ex-Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte wins mayor’s race, but can he govern from the Hague?: Analysis

Duterte is being detained by the International Criminal Court over his bloody war on drugs that left thousands dead. - AFP

MANILA: Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippines’ former strongman president, has just pulled off a political comeback for the history books. He won the mayoral race on May 12 in his southern stronghold of Davao City while locked up some 11,000km away in The Hague, where he is on trial for crimes against humanity.

It was a landslide victory for Duterte, who garnered over 662,000 votes against the 80,000 for his rival Karlo Nograles, who once served in his Cabinet.