Davao sheriff back at work a week after punching incident

Court sheriff Abe Andres is back at work a week after he got a beating from Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte over a demolition row on July 1. In a report on GMA Network's Unang Balita, Ivan Mayrina said that on Thursday, Andres reported for work with a vow not to get involved anymore in the demolition operation of more than 200 houses in the city's Agdao district. [View full report below]

It was the same demolition operation that triggered Duterte, frustrated over the violence that erupted on the site while she was away, to punch Andres in the face and head at least four times in full view of the residents and the media. "No comment na lang ako. Huwag na natin pag-usapan iyon," Andres said in the same television report. While tight-lipped to media, Andres submitted an incident report to his office at the Regional Trial Court Branch 16. In his report, Andres detailed the chronology of events leading up to Duterte's assault. Andres said a staff of the mayor came up to him about 8:40 a.m. to request that the demolition be pushed back by two hours. Andres said he told the staff that the mayor's office should first get an approval from Judge Emmanuel Carpio of the Regional Trial Court Branch 16 before he could grant the request. Judge Carpio was the one who issued the eviction order against the Agdao residents. At 9:45 a.m., Duterte arrived at the demolition site and was told about the violence that had erupted between residents – armed with stones and bladed weapons – and policemen. Upset by the situation, Duterte then summoned Andres and threw punches at him, Andres said. In his incident report, Andres emphasized that the actual demolition of houses has not even started yet when Duterte arrived and assaulted him. The Sheriffs Confederation of the Philippines (Scophil) has already condemned the punching incident and vowed to make Mayor Duterte answerable for her actions. "Ang Scophil may gagawin pa ring move regarding the incident. Humihingi na rin sila ng [tulong] sa supreme court," said a court staff not identified in the television report. [See related: Ampatuan case sheriff says Duterte’s attack ‘demeaning’] Backed up by words of support from her father, Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and her brother Paolo, the mayor admitted she failed to control her temper but stood pat on refusing to apologize to Andres. Rodrigo was former mayor and incumbent vice mayor of Davao City. He currently sits as officer in charge while his daughter is on leave. Paolo, meanwhile, is president of village chairpersons in Davao City. Meanwhile, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has yet to conclude its investigation on the incident. — LBG/RSJ, GMA News