Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte in Focus

For the past days, Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte has been on news headlines after she has punched a court sheriff who has been trying to enforce an eviction order.

The action has caused a political controversy, which has forced her to go on leave temporarily to give way to investigation that the Department of Interior and Local Government is going to undertake once a complaint reaches their office. However, up to now the sheriff has not filed a formal complaint against the mayor.

Much has been said against Mayor Sara Duterte. Her action has flared up criticisms and some have even commented that she is merely making a political stance. In one radio interview over DZBB-GMA-7 radio, she is trying to explain her side citing the problems the city is going through. The anchor person has asked her, “...so your solution is to hurt”? She has answered, “You know, you try to be a mayor first before you ask me again...”

There are so many things that ordinary people cannot understand about the pains of a leader. It is no joke that Davao city is under a state of calamity after four barangays have been under floodwaters killing several individuals. Then here comes a sheriff with a demolition squad all set to drive people out of their homes. He could not grant a two-hour reprieve that Mayor Sara has asked so that she could talk to the people first. I can imagine how tired she has been for days and she could not take it when the sheriff has denied receiving words from her.

I will not defend the “hitting” incident. Just as Commissioner Etta Rosales of the Human Rights Commission has said, “no matter how good is the intention behind it, there is no justification to the physical violence that she has shown”.

However, I cannot discount the fact that for the longest time, it is only now that I have seen such passion and zeal for the people in a leader. She may have acted violently, but that zeal for her constituents is admirably amazing. It is rare to see a leader willing to get into trouble just to defend her people. Again, violence is unjustifiable at any term, but I believe it will be a big loss to the political leadership of the City of Davao if Mayor Sara Duterte will have to go.

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