Militants ask DILG to also probe sheriff

DAVAO CITY—Militant groups yesterday called on the government to go beyond the actual act of Mayor Sara Duterte punching a court sheriff and look into the plight of the urban poor.

Joel Virador, vice chair of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), said that instead of blaming the mayor, the national government should look into its own program on socialized housing, describing it a “dismal failure” for turning it into a “commercial undertaking.”

“Look at your own housing program. The city government cannot do it alone, it needs a national policy to solve the housing backlog in this country, where only those who have money to buy can afford a decent house,” he said.

He also asked judges to investigate their sheriffs.

Duterte had asked Court Sheriff Abe Andres to stay for two hours the demolition of shanties in Barangay Soliman in the city’s Agdao district on Friday for her to have time to intervene and avoid a riot between the settlers and authorities.

Andres was enforcing a writ of eviction issued by Judge Emmanuel Carpio, which upheld the claim of Davao Enterprises Corp., owner of 168 department store, to the property occupied by the slum dwellers.

Coming from a distribution of relief goods to thousands of victims of last week’s floods that hit the city, an irate Duterte arrived in Soliman where a riot had already started. She later punched Andres thrice on the face.

“What’s the mystery? Why can’t the sheriff wait for two hours? Why the hurry?” Virador asked.

Myra Reyes, president of Alyansa Kontra Demolisyon, also said the sheriff could have violated the law for hiring minors as part of the demolition team.

Virador said the team used minors as young as 16 and 17 years old on board three Elf trucks to tear down houses and provoke violence in the area.

Yesterday, Romeo Benitez and Christopher Tiu of the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) trial and investigation division, arrived to start an inquiry into the punching incident. They refused to talk to reporters.

Their recommendations will be submitted to Secretary Jesse Robredo, who will then submit it to the President “who has the supervising authority of highly urbanized city mayors,” according to Ma. Aurora Corpuz, chief of the management support of the DILG in southern Mindanao.

The DILG lawyers met with Judge Carpio of the Regional Trial Court Branch 16. They could not find Andres, who was on leave.

Duterte said she was willing to face them “out of respect.” She had earlier announced that she was taking a five-day leave starting July 7.

“Go ahead and file cases,” Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, the mayor’s father, said when he heard about the fact-finding team.

He called Andres a “criminal” for refusing to follow the mayor’s order to stay the demolition. “You cease to be a judicial officer, a sheriff, once you allow violence to take place,” he said.

Those who would be evicted said it was just right for the mayor to use force because there could have been a bloodbath had she not arrived to interfere.

“They were keen on killing us,” said Minda Sayson, vice president of the United Settlers Association of Bangoy Soliman Inc.

“They should change the way they carry out the demolition, they should not treat us like animals, or bring goons to intimidate us,” Reyes said.