DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Mayor Sara Duterte yesterday declared she is prepared to accept any sanction against her for having assaulted a court sheriff during a heated argument last July 1.
“I am prepared for whatever sanction there would be for my action as a result of a proper investigation. I will wait for the proper investigation and the proper venue; in that way I could also defend myself,” she said.
Duterte also denied insinuations that she is a privileged member of President Aquino’s so-called “Kaklase, Kaibigan at Kabarilan” (classmates, friends and shooting buddies) for having been granted a favorable ruling over the charges filed against her.
“Definitely, we are not classmates, we are not shooting buddies and we are not friends. My relationship with him (the President) is purely professional. Him, being the President of the Philippines and I, being the mayor of Davao City. And I only see him when he comes to Davao City for a visit,” she said.
Duterte said her family is not related to the President’s in any way so as to be granted any favor.
She said she still has to receive a copy of the result of the investigation on her by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
On the charges that she should be disbarred as a lawyer, Duterte said she would accept it as long as Davao City Regional Trial Court Branch 16 Judge Emmanuel Carpio would be kicked out.
Duterte figured in an argument with court sheriff Abe Andres and let loose her anger by punching him several times.
Duterte said Andres ignored her request to stay the demolition of a colony of informal settlers in Barangay Soliman in Agdao district since it would affect thousands of families that were already suffering from the floods that inundated the city.
Duterte blamed Carpio for ignoring her request for a two-hour delay in the demolition.
The mayor’s police bodyguards were also investigated during the incident. PO2 Dennis Cabunti was pulled out as Duterte’s security aide last July 15 and ordered to stay put at the Davao City police headquarters.
Cabunti was seen on video as among those who were present during the punching incident.
Duterte said she does not intend to get another police security escort yet since it would take a while to establish trust and confidence with whoever would be assigned to her.
Duterte also shrugged off talks she has finally gotten out of the shadow of her father, Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who served as Davao mayor for more than 20 years.
“I was never in his shadow. I was always my own person. It would be smaller or bigger, otherwise it would not be me if I would be in his shadow,” she said.