Her father’s daughter

“It’s been a year since voters decided to elect the candidate who would bring change.

“A leader who is strong.

“A leader who will defend the poor and the oppressed.

“A leader who’s unafraid; a leader who’s got balls.

“Yes, it’s been a year.”

The above statement, coming from an anonymous author, does not refer to President Noy.

The quote ends with, “Happy first year in office… Sara Duterte.”

Sara “Inday Sara” Duterte is the Davao City mayor who punched Court Sheriff Abe Andres after the latter ignored her request for a two-hour moratorium on the court-ordered demolition of some shanties in the predominantly poor Agdao district.

Duterte wanted to talk to the squatters first to pacify them and assure them that a relocation site had been set aside for them.

Andres went on with the demolition anyway that resulted in a battle between the affected squatters and police-backed demolition crew.

A policeman was hit in the leg by a slingshot-fired dart.

* * *

Duterte has become famous or infamous—depending on which side of the fence you’re in—for her action.

Those who are sticklers for the law denounce her for taking the law into her own hands.

But an equal number of people praise her for taking up the cudgels for the poor.

* * *

Inday Sara is her father’s daughter.

Old man Rody Duterte, now her vice mayor, would have reacted the same way if placed in the same situation as his 32-year-old daughter.

In fact, Rody Duterte told his daughter not to apologize for her action because she was defending the underprivileged.

The old man said she should face the consequences that might result in dismissal from the service.

“Congratulations,” the doting father told his equally feisty daughter.

* * *

Several lawyer-friends I talked to about the incident that was seen around the world, said that when violence broke out, Inday Sara, being the mayor, took jurisdiction over the incident, even if there was a court order.

Her action was justified because she prevented violence from escalating since it calmed the protagonists, my lawyer-friends said.

* * *

Businessman Girme Gutierrez bought a brand-new Toyota Land Cruiser that turned out to be a lemon.

But Toyota North Edsa, from which he bought the P4.1-million sport utility vehicle, does not want to replace the car.

The car dealer only wants to repair the vehicle and replace the parts that are defective.

But Gutierrez insists that a lemon, a car which has a factory defect, should be replaced.

In the US and other countries, lemons are replaced by dealers.