Why I’d punch the sheriff too
(This article was first published in print in issue 3-4 of the Philippine Collegian on 05 July 2011.)
by Richard Jacob Dy
In the age of social networks, we are used to seeing hashtags such as “savages,” “barbaric,” and “uncivilized,” which often pertain to “violent” individuals whose “lack of education” deprive them of moral virtues like decency, self-control and diplomacy.
When Davao City’s Sara Duterte punched the “powerless” sheriff, who commanded over a demolition team, many condemned the act as “savagery,” saying it was wrong for a government official to lose temper and publicly embarrass an officer. Many pundits agree that the both frowned upon and celebrated incident may cost Duterte her office, and it could also be a valid ground for her disbarment.
Thanks to this growing exercise of posting commentary in social media, people went as far as carelessly quoting Niccolo Machiavelli’s “the ends justify the means” to render the idea of destroying homes acceptable. For these people, in exchange of a bloodbath, a justified end can be reduced into a beautiful site of 2,000-square meter land.
People seemed to care less about the fact that Duterte punched the sheriff because his impatience led to a bloody riot that injured individuals. Certain people were quick to discount Duterte, for a mistake can never be solved by another mistake, according to God knows who.
But how can one be diplomatic enough not to punch a man responsible for more than ten injuries, when it could have been clearly avoided? After helping families whose houses and lives were affected by devastating flash floods in Davao, how can one be calm when you hear news about men ruthlessly destroying the shanties that hundreds of families, for years, call their home?
For some people, there is only one kind of violence. When residents challenge demolition teams with stones and sling shots, it seems normal for people to call them “illegal,” and that they don’t have the right to protest. Hence, for them, it seems normal to call them violent.
People don’t usually call demolitions violent, because they all seem necessary and just, even if it means forcing individuals to leave their homes and forcing people to move to unliveable places. In the name of “development projects,” people don’t call laws that force individuals to vacate contested terrain violent.
When choosing whom to call violent, some people take sides without looking beyond the obvious. For some, the mayor used her fist; she abused her power.
In the spate of demolitions in Quezon City, particularly in Sitio San Roque where the office of the city mayor stands nearby, the residents fought for their homes, but they received no help from the city government. Rarely does it happen that a government official takes the side of the people in demolitions. Duterte was an exception. She punched the sheriff, and she joined the violent ones.
I would punch the sheriff too, and that makes me a pompous bastard. But I don’t care, especially when all I can think about are the individuals who quickly dismiss Duterte’s punch as violent, and yet see nothing wrong with displacing families from their homes. ●
Short URL: http://www.philippinecollegian.org/?p=1235
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on Jul 5 2011. Filed under Opinyon.
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very well said! i hope many will read this instead of making baseless remarks esp on national tv.
you gave me goosebumps there, coz if i were in here shoes i’d punch the sheriff too. i hope they could see things critically before giving out statements and point fingers…
make sense
thanks for sharing
this really makes sense and if I were Mayor Duterte I believe i’d also punch the sheriff out of frustration and stress.. 2 hours extension is not a very long time to wait and the demolition was already accepted by the mayor and the people… the mayor just needs to be there to make sure that there will be no violence during demolition… thanks for this article and I hope people living outside of Davao can read this before judging and making mindless comments
Almost all demolitions are violent. But all demolitions usually take place after years of legal processes. All squatters (or informal settlers as you may call them) have been given ample time to vacate. They simply won’t despite years of prodding and what not. Then the time for reckoning comes. In this case, the sheriff was just doing his job. There was a court order for goodness sakes! No, Mr. Dy. One should never commit a crime to solve a problem, regardless.
Wrong. In the case of the demolition in Agdao, Davao City. The informal settlers agreed to leave peacefully, provided, Mayor Duterte was present during the demolition to ensure that the demolition would proceed as humanely as possible.
A day before the demolition, Mayor Duterte met with both sides and they all agreed that the demolition would proceed but only after the engineers from the City Engineers Office were done surveying the area to properly identify which houses were covered by the demolition order.
On the day of the demolition, Mayor Duterte needed to attend to the flash flood victims first and called the Sheriff to ask for a 2-hour delay so she could do relief operations at the other side of the city.
The Sheriff refused and went on with the demolition. The demolition team indiscriminately tore down houses. This resulted to the residents resisting and an all-out riot erupted.
Duterte learned of the riot and rushed to the demolition site. She was able to pacify the rioting residents and berated all sides (informal settlers, the police, the demolition team) for failing to maintain order. She then asked for Sheriff Andres and you know the rest of the story.
Clincher: The sheriff wasn’t simply doing his job. There was undue haste on his part to proceed with the demolition which begs the question: What’s in it for him? Why can’t he wait for 2 hours?
This court document probably holds the answer:
http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2008/june2008/P-07-2384.htm
I agree with you Sir.
I agree with you– 1,000%. It is saddening that far too many people (the so-called “leaders” at that) opt to take a futile legalistic stance on the matter! Why don’t they get off their high horses and realize the simple logic of Mayor Sara’s actions?
Or maybe they opt to not understand the logic because they have long convinced themselves that a kind of leadership that tends to side with the poor is irrational and impossible!
i’d probably punch the sheriff too.. wrong? yes.. prude and indifferent? no way…
If we historicize the deed, we see that the Dutertes of Davao are merciless murderers, who justify their deeds by claiming they are exterminating NPA’s.
The elder Duterte started out as part of the police. During Cory’s time, he was elected for parading himself as the NPA exterminator. Such were his efforts that he was known even in the US. He had his own nickname, The Punisher, for bringing down many of these “communist rebels.” Time Magazine has written about his cunning against these rebels while human rights activists have always opposed him. They’re turning tables around, this time, making it appear they are pro-poor, manipulating the media to make it seem like they’re the good guys. Perhaps they have been waiting to get this opportunity–an ambiguous one at that–to clean their image. For all we know, she might have wanted to be there so she could see to it that these “communist rebels” get a taste of her own fist, and she gets a part of the action. But having been caught by the camera, she now acts headstrong, as if fighting for the poor.
Agdao, the town in Davao where the demolition took place, also has a nickname for being their killing field of NPA’s. It’s been called “CarAgdao,” a distortion of Nicaragua for being like it–a country living in violence.
I am telling this to your audience, the thinking public, because I believe your audience needs to know the truth of the current state of Mindanao from one who grew up there, not from a sensationalist, Manila-centric media. If the citizens of Agdao could speak up, I’m sure they’ll point out the same Janus-facedness of the Mayor. But with a video like that, who would believe them? Who would want to hear their side anyway? Would they still be alive if they spoke up? Davao has one of the higher numbers of extra-judicial killings in the country (the Duterte’s have held the fort for DECADES now).
To echo Balzac, quoted also at the start of The Godfather novel, “Behind every great fortune is a crime.” Hindi ba nakapagtataka na sobrang political dynasty ang mga Duterte?
Obviously you are not really from Davao unless you are Boy Nograles.We sleep soundly at night knowing we are somewhat safe in our homes. Ruthless?How about criminals. So what if you catch them, throw them in jail?walang mga takot yan, kay duterte sila natatakot. It’s not a perfect situation, may nadadamay, innocents, but the benefits accrue to the many by the sacrifice of a few. Pa godfather quote ka pa, kung magaling ka and you really are from Davao, leave. Go to new york, london or germany, and let some lousy skinhead beat the balzac out of your head. Poser!
read more hijo. you’ll make a good whatever
Do you think the act is Noble? Think again… think harder.
First, the said demolition has a court order; all demolitions usually take place after years of legal processes. It would be inhumane to execute the demolition order the day or week after the decision isn’t it? That’s why informal settlers (squatters) are given enough time to depart from the land. As what Mayor Sara said during the news interviews is that she and the squatters already agreed that they would voluntarily tear down there homes… but did they? The Mayor had lots of time to take care of things… and should have filed the TRO earlier and not during the date of demolition. Don’t you think?
According to Mr. Sheriff, they first conducted a SURVEY and it is a protocol before demolition. It’s an assessment and it’s for safety, just like what doctors do before they treat patients and just like what engineers do before they build roads.
Hope people would be more responsible and assess things first before they make statements… and don’t depend too much on media.
-It doesn’t mean that you admire a person; you would tolerate everything he/she does.
-As you may notice I’m not good in writing, but I have to express my opinion… and I don’t have to be a MAYOR to do so.
lost of things cannot be written, including the fact that she didn’t apply for a TRO, why should she? she already told the residents that they have lost the case and there’s nothing else that can be done, unless the residents seek reprieve again. the agreement hatched with the residents was 11 a.m.
11 a.m., the mayor will be there.
11 a.m., if there is a TRO then everything stops.
11 a.m., if there is no TRO, then you tear down your houses.
don’t depend too much on the media, yes, because there is just so much space and time that can be used. BUT, do not ride on your high horse too if you do not know WHY the people of davao, militants, businessmen, ordinary people, and the poor see nothing wrong in what the mayor did. we understood what happened and we are happy that our mayor had the balls to make a demolition more humane. what do YOU think, mr, nikolai off the cuff know it all?
Yes, the residents lost the case so the Mayor and the residents decided to voluntarily destroy there own homes and they are given time to do so.
I’m sure you saw the video. Just watch it again, you’ll know that she was trying to file a TRO. That’s why she asked 2 hours, hoping it’s enough time for the application to be entertained and have a decision. Words came out from her mouth Ms. Heather.
Ms. Heather my i ask you:
What would be the reason why the residents failed to vacate the area though they had been given enough time to do it?
thanks.
-Let’s be clear, I’m not trying to disgrace anyone here Ms.Heather.
padayon lang….
tama naman, there was a flood, i was in manila, i was crying for the victims, my sister was one of the victims i was glad and thankful for everyone who helped the victims.tapos, may demolition amidst? anong pagkakaiba ng nabahaan at na demolished sa panahon na yan? tama nga namang mang umbag. dapat maghintay, at kung di makarating after two hours, aba eh, tawagan ang concerned kung ano na..wala pa namang 2 hours..inday sara anggaling mo..
I admire the principle behind Mayor Duterte’s act though I do not think that violence is always the right course of action. Given the extreme pressure and stress that she was enduring, I can sympathize with her reaction to the pigheadedness of the sheriff. In her shoes, given that I have a really short temper, I might have done the same. What I do not like is the way she handled the aftermath of her punching him. Even though time had passed to let her regain full control of herself, to cool-off, she still decided to justify her actions by means of bandering about her political clout. Threatening the local judiciary with a budget cut, which really is under her control, just served to rub into people’s noses our most hated image of a politician “abusing” his/her power. The high-handed approach, with which her family has chosen to tackle the consequences of her actions, has only served to give the media more nails to crucify her with. Yes, violence is not the best answer. Yes, what she did was to protect the lives and dignity of her constituents in the midst of two consecutive disasters. Yes, she has the power and clout to receive nothing more than a slap on the palm for what she did. BUT, she (and her father) do not need to continuously rub into our faces that the Filipino government is mostly just a medieval system posing as a democracy.
[...] is in reaction to Mr. Richard Dy’s ‘Why I’d Punch the Sheriff too’ as published in the Philippine Collegian on July 5, [...]