Sheriff says sorry to Davao City Mayor Duterte

DAVAO CITY—Despite being made a virtual punching bag, Court Sheriff Abe Andres apologized to Mayor Sara Duterte.

“Ma’am, pasensiya na ho (“Mayor, please bear with me”),” Andres on Wednesday said in a TV interview, explaining that he was waiting for the judge to decide whether or not to continue with the demolition so he wasn’t able to heed Duterte’s request to delay the operation.

Duterte had asked Andres for a two-hour stay of the demolition of squatters in Barangay Soliman in Agdao District here on Friday last week, but her request was declined.

Duterte claimed she lost her cool because a riot that ensued during the demolition could have been avoided if Andres had heeded her request for a delay.

Andres said he won’t sue the mayor, who has been criticized for the assault.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government has started its investigation.

Duterte, who is on official leave, has so far not commented on the sheriff’s apology. But her father, Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, said it was only proper for Andres to apologize.

“The demolition was illegal, the sheriff was not supposed to be there,” the vice mayor said, citing Republic Act No. 7279, which makes it mandatory to give local governments a 30-day notice for evictions.

The court notice was issued on June 21. The demolition happened on July 1.

He also said the law required that the demolition be implemented “in good weather,” but it was raining in the city at the time of the demolition.

People are expected to gather at the Rizal Park here today for a rally in support of Mayor Duterte.

But no one could say how many would come to the rally. It was also difficult to find leaders of today’s rally because there is no “formal” group spearheading the activity.

The city government said a group had asked for a permit for today’s rally.

At the social networking site Facebook, the mayor’s supporters have replaced their profile photos with green ribbons or “We support Mayor Sara Duterte” badges.

Duterte was wearing a green shirt when she punched the sheriff.

Butch Ramirez, a retired government worker and one of those who volunteered to organize the rally, said the rally was a spontaneous response to criticisms that the mayor is getting for punching Andres.

Ramirez, however, said the rally would not be about the punching. “It’s about her defending the poor. Her care and sympathy for the poor. This is something that has not been discussed. That is the other side of the story,” Ramirez told the Inquirer in a telephone interview.

Also expected to join the rally are members of the Filipino-Chinese community, members of the urban poor sector and other people’s organizations.

The Barangay Councilors’ League here also said it will join today’s rally.