Sheriffs' group condemns Duterte's 'punching' stunt

Breaking its silence for the first time, the Sheriffs Confederation of the Philippines (Scophil) on Friday finally voiced its collective and official condemnation of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte's attack on a court sheriff. According to a GMA News TV Live report, Scophil members - all clad in black shirts - staged a condemnation rally outside the Quezon City Hall of Justice to condemn Duterte for repeatedly punching Davao court sheriff Abe Andres after a demolition in the city's Agdao district turned violent last July 1. Andres earlier said he would no longer be taking legal actions against Duterte, but Scophil on Friday urged him to still press charges. After going on leave since the incident, Andres finally reported back for work on Thursday but said he no longer plans to involve himself in the demolition operation in Agdao. Hours before the punching incident on July 1, Duterte had requested Andres to push back the serving of the demolition order by two hours so she could personally oversee the operation. Her request was unheeded because an approval from the court that issued the demolition order was needed. Violence erupted at the demotion site even before the wrecking operation began and while Duterte was not yet around. Duterte rushed to the demolition site after distributing relief goods to residents in flooded areas in Davao City. Unable to control her anger over her "rejected" request and the violence that erupted at the site, the mayor punched Andres in the face and head. Quezon City court sheriff Nestor Rivera, a Scophil member, earlier described Duterte's actions as "demeaning" to the judiciary and the justice system in the country. Rivera, sheriff of the court hearing the high-profile Maguindanao massacre case, said Duterte should have just spoken with Andres instead of physically hurting him. Several groups in the judicial circle have already condemned Duterte action, including a Scophil's chapter in Cebu and the Quezon City Trial Lawyers League. — LBG, GMA News