Davao City mayor apologizes to barangay captain

DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio apologized in public to the barangay council chair in Paquibato District for punitive measures she ordered for being a stronghold of the communist rebels before the city government's peace initiative Peace 911 turned the conflict around.

Mayor Duterte-Carpio delivered her apology during her speech at the first anniversary program of Peace 911 at barangay Malabog in Paquibato district Saturday, May 25, 2019.

"There is one barangay captain nga kinahanglan gyud mangayo ko og pasaylo, sa atoang barangay captain sa Lumiad, kay kapitan (Celso) Bughao na giipit gyud ta ka hangtud pait na gyud ang inyong kahimtang sa inyong balay, sa inyong lugar sa Lumiad (I need to apologize to barangay chair Celso Bughao because I did everything to make it difficult for you, your household, and your community)," she said.

"Pero wala koy makit-an na laing pamaagi atong panahona para mapasabot ka na mag-uban 'tang duha kay pareho ta nagtrabaho sa gobyerno (But I couldn't think of any other way to make you understand that we must work together because we both work for government)," she added.

City Mayor's Office Adviser for Peace Irene Santiago said that Duterte-Carpio had all allowances to the barangay cut-off because Lumiad was the "strongest stronghold" of the New People's Army (NPA) in Paquibato District.

Peace 911 has since made the communist rebellion problem in Paquibato, including Lumiad, a thing of the past. Thus, the mayor's apology.

But, she added that the city government, the Peace 911 as a program and the community workers for Peace 911 have to continue the work because she knows, the instigators to communist rebellion are still around.

"Naghulat ra na sila og timing (They are just waiting for an opportunity)," she said. And this will come if the programs and projects to sustain peace and development are not sustained.

Peace 911 is built upon the eight pillars of peace, namely: a well- functioning government, a sound business environment, an equitable distribution of resources, an acceptance of the rights of others, good relations with neighbors, free flow of information, a high level of human capital, and low levels of corruption.