By Raïssa Robles

Rodrigo Duterte and his political heiress, San Beda lion Sara
Yesterday I received comments from two people who claimed to be “Mayor Rodrigo Duterte” and “sara duterte”.
The alleged “Mayor Duterte” was quite foul-mouthed. (See comments to my story Defending daughter Sara, Vice-Mayor Duterte unmasks true face of warlordism.)
While the alleged “sara” was quite composed and pointed me to a Sunstar article in answer to my questions regarding the property from which the shanty dwellers were being forcibly evicted last Friday, which caused Mayor Sara to go ballistic.
But the best bit of information came from a piece written by Caroline Howard for ABS-CBNNews.com, where she managed to extract the following gems from Acting Mayor Rodrigo Duterte without the latter cursing at her.
Congratulations, Caroline, for asking the right questions and eliciting the following answers from Rodrigo Duterte:
Dito hindi naniniwala ng giyera, police, huwes, but ang mayor… this society remains feudal, [it] depends on the local government. [Here in Davao City, nobody believes in war, police, judges, but only believes in the mayor…]
You may elect a son of a bitch, but he remains the choice of the people. Mayor yan e, pili ng tao. [He’s the mayor, chosen by the people.]
Is it our fault we are in a state of feudalism until now? For as long as people depend on the dispensing authority, we remain in poverty.
My take on Rodrigo Duterte’s public hand-washing
Now my next statement will probably elicit endearing cuss words from some readers in Davao City but I’ll say it anyway.
Yes, Mayor Duterte, it is YOUR fault that Davao City remains in a state of feudalism because you have encouraged it, you revel in it, you love it and you cannot live without it.
The residents like you because you do almost everything for them. In return you expect and extract the utmost loyalty and obedience from them.
What you and Mayor Sara could do is to teach your constituents how to stand up on their own, how to assert their rights, how NOT to depend on the mayor alone for their womb to tomb needs.
What you could do is to hand-hold democracy, ok, even like a stern father.
Teach them in the end how to defy you when you are wrong. But in a nice way and with their own suggested solutions.
And when they do, you will know you have succeeded in teaching them democracy.
* * * *
Below is the background on the contested property that was the scene of Friday’s aborted eviction which was sent to me from a reader from Davao City who calls herself “sara duterte”:
Mayor halts support for Hall of Justice
By Jereco O. Paloma
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Sunstar DavaoDAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte is set to terminate all forms of support the City Government has been providing the Hall of Justice starting Sunday.
Duterte made this decision after Regional Trial Court (RTC) branch 16 sheriff Abe Andres failed to grant the two-hour allowance the mayor was asking over the demolition in Barangay Kapitan Tomas Monteverde Sr., Soliman, Agdao District.
Judge Manuel Carpio of RTC branch 16 issued the demolition order.
Although refusing to elaborate the exact amount the City Government has been giving out as a support to the Hall of Justice, Duterte said this is a significant support.Among the things the city is providing to the Hall of Justice are job order employees and gasoline allowances.
The demolition order dated June 23 was in relation to a contested property in Blocks 2 and 3 in Barangay Soliman, in Agdao, Davao City, owned by a Chinese businessman.The demolition order has been superseded by an order to delineate or define the scope and area that is to be subjected to demolition
Tension broke out when the demolition team and residents clashed in a riot around 10:30 a.m.
Roughly 300 families are reportedly be affected by the demolition of their houses on the 3,143-square-meter land owned by one Philip Kho.
Duterte said she is neither on the side of the property owners nor the residents but she understands the sentiments of the affected families.
However, Minda Sayson, vice president of the United Settlers Association in Bangoy Creek (USABC), said they are ready to honor the court order but all they wanted was to know the scope of the area that will be demolished.
The City Government already set aside a 22-hectare relocation site in Los Amigos for the residents who will be displaced.
Duterte, however, said that for those who are not indigents, the City Government is ready to relocate them to a site in Tibungco for free.
________________________________________
Related Stories:
Defending daughter Sara, Vice-Mayor Duterte unmasks true face of warlordism
Sara “the Slugger” Duterte; Malacañang’s ‘Samar faction’ mansion; & a post-steamy airplane scene
Here’s a link to Caroline Howard’s article interviewing Mayor Duterte
Duterte: We’re still in state of feudalism
anonymous says
at least their mayor doesn’t spend the entire day “sleeping” in the office and by that i mean, doing nothing or stealing money or charghing his groceries to the city govt., their mayor is just one of the few good politicians out there, the rest, they do nothing, even after their term, their town hasn’t progressed. sometimes, being sissy is not the solution to our problems, mabuti rin cguro kung magpka.astig tayo minsan but yeah, that depends on the principles that you were used to.
raissa says
Dear anonymous,
Why do you resort to innuendos? Say it out loud who you mean.
anonymous says
i don’t really resort to innuendos, i just think that their mayor is still better off than those overrated politicians out there who hang tarpulins of their faces in it and their so-called “achievements”. (and some were not achieved at all) i tell you, when election in 2013 comes, expect tarpulins from re-electionist mayors to contain their so-called achievements as i mentioned and their so-called platforms that would end up being useless by the time they win the elections. admit it, there are really politicians who may be kind but don’t deliver their promises to their constituents. a tough mayor who delivers her promises to her constituents is better than a pa-pogi pogi mayor who does the “pakitang-tao” technique when election comes but when once elected, forgets about delivering his platforms to his/her constituents.
sayuriah says
i’d rather have a mayor who lost her temper over reasonable circumstances, displaying her “passion” of preserving “peace” in majority, than those who cowardly seats in their offices waiting for bloodshed to happen before “acting” concerned on the situation. duh! the dutertes were accepted and re-elected by the people because of the way they presented themselves and the way mingled with the citizens in DAVAO CITY…they are true, if they dont like something they say it in public and act on it ~they dont think of just “protecting” their image (and wages) when it comes to defending the people they serve…kaya ba yan ng ibang mayor?…the dutertes dont only think with their heads but also with their hearts (for the majority~poor people that is) and what’s best for the city…to those who lived outside and have not experienced living in davao under the dutertes, LET THE PEOPLE OF DAVAO TELL YOU AND SHOW YOU THEIR WORTH, dont judge them just because of what the media had presented to the public by those who did not really experienced years of living peacefully in the city (i.e. OUTSIDERS).
aina garcia says
Sarah Duterte did not handle her temper well but I am so proud she did that to the sheriff. All she asked was to wait for her like 2 hours (because shes still in a relief operations for the victim of the flood) so that she could talk to the people and so that they can leave the area peacefully, quietly and no harm done.
But the sheriff refused to grant her request, what happened is he continued the demolition that caused some people hurting and stabbing each other. One of the policemen was rushed to the hospital because of the action of the sheriff.
If he just listened to Mayor Sarah, the demolition went on peacefully. Davao City peace and order is highly promoted, I am a girl, and I can walk through the streets of Davao say 3am and i have nothing to worry.
I am a very active member of community services, and the government program for the poor is very rich, hindi tinitipid ang tao. You can even go to the office of mayor and ask money for medicine, solicitation etc.
The Dutertes help a lot of people, baranggay and groups but they dont require to always state their names as donors. They give silently, not boosting or working harder to publish their names. Mayor Duterte protect people in Davao City, that’s why the people here in Davao will be going to protect her too.
You guys really really need to live here and feel how was it like to live in such peaceful, not polluted and super friendly city – Davao City – before jumping into some conclusion. Peace and harmony for everyone.. :-)
raissa says
Thank you for your comment, Aina.
mark dario says
this is a very disgusting topic for very shallow people …meron bang pulitiko sa Pilipinas na hindi nakapagmura sa buong buhay nya ? pati nga mga pari at pastor nagmumura …..si Marcos hindi nagmumura sa TV pero ang daming pinapatay nung …Martial Law mga inosenteng aktibista at libo-libong tao hinahamlet …Si Cory Aquino ni minsan hindi nagmura ? Si Gloria hindi nagdirty finger at nagmura in public pero ginawang gago ang militar at ginamit na instrumento nang dayaan sa eleksyon tapos kaliwat kanan ang kurakot ….sabay magalang na nagsabi nang IAM sorry Yun ang Gusto Nyo? ….Ang mga kagalang galang na Senador at Congressman hindi nagmumura ? kayo hindi nagmumura o nagdidirty finger? …..This Duterte specially Sarah…alam nyo bang sa buong history nang Demolisyon sa Hanay nang Maralita sa Pilipinas ngayon lang may tumindig na Mayor para sumugod sa Demolisyon kahit nagkakagulo na. Para lang iensure na walang masasaktan at wag namang tratuhing parang hayop ang mga mahihirap nyang kababayan …Go ahead with your shallowness palakihin nyo ang isang bagay at maliitin ang isang katangian nadapat sana ay taglayin nang mga pinuno nang ating bansa …(being sensitive sa kalagayan nang mahihirap na Pilipino) ilang milyong Pinoy ang iskuwater sa sariling Bayan…ilang Milyong Pilipino ang tinaboy nang kawalan nang magandang opurtunidad sa sariling bayan at kung tutuusin ay araw araw dinidirty finger din nang mga nationals nang ibang bansa dahil para ring mga iskuwater na nagsusumiksik at nakikipag agawan nang trabaho sa hindi naman nila bansa ….Nagalit ba kayo? O proud pa nga dahil di hamak na mas sosyal kayong iskuwater kaysa sa amin dahil dokumentado kayo ? sinisiguro ko sa inyo mas marami kaming fingers kaysa sa inyo…huwag naman sanang hintayin ninyo na gamitin din namin ito sa inyo dahil masakit din yun para sa amin dahil alam nating hindi tayo ang may kasalanan bakit ganito ang Pilipinas ….Kung mayroon tayong dapat idirty finger walang iba kung hindi ang pagiging miseducated at kaipokritohan nang marami nating mga kababayan ..ang mga oligarkiya at bayarang ahente nila na patuloy tayong ginagawang manhid at mga bobo.
ted says
this is my second comment here.
again, your argument is based on what you can say, biblical i say, nothing about from your experience living in davao or anything that YOU experience from davao.
the people of davao is different. i say different like because when they are mad at people, say merong nakaaway, and if there are knives or guns involved in a fight, there is a 100% possibility of somebody getting killed or stabbed. while pag ikaw siguro yun, maaring hindi mo ituloy ang pagbaril kung sakaling me barilan.
now yung sa sheriff issue, simple lang. nagagalit si sara kasi MAARING MERONG MABARIL or mapatay. YUN ANG KINAGALIT NYA. now, hindi ko sya kinukunsinti sa nagawa nyang pananapak. mali yun. ang point ko sa comment na ito, na sana pag gumawa ka ulit ng article about dutertes or davao city, PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE LIVING IN THE CITY. wag yung puro biblical. i will tell you iba ang davao. kaya iba rin ang pamamalakad na nangyari at successful naman.
Rodrigo Hambugero says
Sabi ni Sarah-Do kinasusap na nya before that day ang mga nakatira doon. Ano ba sinabi nya doon sa mga tao bakit naging bayolente? Sabi nya sa kanya lang nakikinig ang mga tao doon. Pinangakuan nya sigurong magkaka-TRO at hindi sila mapapaalis. Giving them false hope and failing to tell them the truth at ipaunawang hindi nila pag-aari ang lupang ‘yun. Kaninong pagkakamali ba bakit nagkaroon ng mga squatters doon? Kay Rodrigo at Sarah Duterte kasi sa loob ng 20 years hindi nila naprotektahan ang mga pribadong lupa na binabayaran nga mga may-ari ang mga buwis. Hindi nila nabigyan ng pabahay ang mga mahihirap na sinasabi nilang pinahahalagahan nila. Ngayon ang mga kasalanan nila ay ibinibintang nila sa bobong sheriff. Ang mga bobong Davaoeño naman ay bilib na bilib.
Vittorio says
I envy our countrymen from Davao. Not everyday will you see a mayor risk her dignity, elective position as well as her IBP ID card just for the sake of the poor.
It’s so easy to sit back and comment at how it all went down and how wrong it was, but I bet 99% of all those who hate her for what she did are doing so since they ENVY her guts.
We live in the real world, one fraught with criminal elements who have no respect for anything or anyone which cannot send them 6 feet beneath the ground. We have institutions which PROTECT their rights more than it does for innocent and peace-loving citizens. The only ones who need to FEAR a Death Squad are those who are on the wrong side of the Law.
raissa says
You said – The only ones who need to FEAR a Death Squad are those who are on the wrong side of the Law.
And who defines which is the wrong side of the law?
AlvinMiguel says
I say – lets bring the DUTERTEs to Manila.
The “dirty harry” is not doing his job to get rid the city of snatchers, murderers, and other lawless elements.
Here in Manila, the DUTERTEs can do more than ‘dirty harry’, they can do ‘dirty fingers’.
Eat it dirty harry!
sparda says
You know what? It has been done. Our Vice Mayor has been given an offer for a posistion in the Palace (DILG I think)..And I understand why he refused it until now..
(‘_^)v bro..
paolo a says
For us Dabawenyos, its really very simple: we chose the Duterte’s because they are the ones who can get the job done. Who do you want to be in power, the Nograles’? Mga trapo, both father and son. Why do you fear the Duterte’s? Maybe you have something to be afraid? For me, a common dabawenyo, I can walk around Davao without the fear of being gunned down by the so-called DDS, because I abide by the law of the City. For those who don’t, then YOU DO need to fear for your life.
See? It’s really simple. But I can understand if you still cannot get it, since you need to live here for the last 15 years to get the correct perspective. I did.
mac miller says
fuck you !
naninira ka ah ! potang ina mo dapat sayo pinapatay ! kaya pala maraming pinapatay na media …… instrumento kayu ng mga mayayamang gusto makontrol ang utak ng mga tao !
kawalang utak ang sinulat mo , pinatunayan mo lang na mahina ang LOGIC mo !
Sonny Campos says
Cnu kya ang mhina ang logic, action speaks louder than voice!