Sara to judges: Lead fight vs summary executions, street justice

FIST OF FURY In this July 1, 2011 photo, then Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte pummels court sheriff Abe Andres as he was implementing a court order to demolish houses in a disputed property. Duterte, now the country’s Vice President, told a meeting of judges in Cebu City on Thursday that they should decide cases swiftly to prevent summary killings and street justice. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

CEBU CITY—For someone who had punched a court sheriff for carrying out a court order, Vice President Sara Duterte now wants judges to be at the forefront in the fight against “summary executions and dangerous urge of street justice” by rendering speedy justice.

“As trial judges, you have the power to become the catalyst of change by ensuring that cases are presided over in a timely and impartial manner,” she said in a speech to over 300 judges from around the country who were attending the national convention of judges and commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Philippine Trial Judges League Inc. in Cebu City on Thursday.

“You are instruments in restoring people’s faith in the system and to prevent the tragic consequences that derive from the lack of speedy justice,” said Duterte, a lawyer.

She urged the judges to make sure that justice was served swiftly.

“Your unwavering commitment to the pursuit of justice and the rule of law has been a beacon of hope for all Filipino people,” she said.

READ: VP Sara Duterte: Secret funds’ critics ‘enemies of the people’

“It is imperative that we reflect upon the challenges that lie ahead and one such challenge that we must confront is the failure of speedy administration of justice,” she added.

Dangerous precedent

In her speech, the Vice President said that failing to render quick justice would set a dangerous precedent that could lead to the breakdown of justice.People’s disappointment and desperation, she said, might lead some individuals to resort to violence in order to take revenge.

“We live in a society where the demand for justice is urgent and palpable,” Duterte said.

She added: “It is our duty to rise to this challenge and address it. We must strive to ensure that justice is not only served but is served swiftly. We must work together to expedite the resolution of cases and restore faith in our justice system.”

Davao incident

When she was mayor of Davao City in 2011, Duterte punched a court sheriff, Abe Andres, multiple times for insisting on demolishing houses inside a contested property in Barangay Soliman of Davao’s Agdao district.

Duterte explained that she was angered by Andres’ insistence on serving the notice of eviction when she was only asking for a two-hour reprieve until the residents’ lawyers got a ruling on the eviction case from the Court of Appeals.

Andres was first hit in the left eye and was explaining to Duterte that he was just implementing a court order when the then mayor threw more punches that landed on his face.

Duterte’s father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, is facing charges of committing crimes against humanity in the International Criminal Court in connection with the thousands believed to have been victims of extrajudicial killings in his war on drugs.

Her father, a former city prosecutor, refuses to recognize the tribunal’s jurisdiction and says he will not cooperate with its investigation.

After her speech to the judges, Duterte, the concurrent education secretary, spoke to more than 500 public school officials during the National Literacy Conference 2023 at the Department of Education Ecotech Center in Cebu City’s Barangay Lahug.

She stressed the importance of educational literacy to empower people who could contribute to the stability and security of the country. INQ