DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio hogged headlines not only in the Philippines but also in other countries after punching a court sheriff last July 1, 2011 for pushing the demolition order despite her plea to wait for a couple of hours.
The subject court sheriff was Abe Andres of Regional Trial Court Branch 16 of Davao City.
The news about a mayor punching a court sheriff was picked up by many international broadcasting channels, including the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) News and Al Jazeera. The video was also released by many international established news websites, including dailymail.co.uk and msn.com. Up until now, the video can still be viewed on YouTube.
The incident received mixed reactions from people around the globe during that time, some positive, while others criticized the mayor for using her hand and power against an ordinary court sheriff.
A worker in the media industry, who during that time was still a college student, said the incident made him and his schoolmates think that what the lady mayor did was "badass." He said the incident solidified the perception of others that Mayor Duterte-Carpio is not someone who can easily be messed up with.
The court sheriff went on official leave after the incident. He refused to sue the lady mayor even when prodded by different groups. He was then transferred to the Supreme Court in Manila later on.
With the incident, Duterte-Carpio became the subject of a number of cases, including disbarment and administrative cases, but not one prospered.
The mayor, however, issued a public apology to Andres and his family a year after the punching incident.
"Gusto lang nako ipa-abot kay Abe Andres ug sa iyang pamilya bisag wala sila didto, apektado sila sa nahitabo (I wanted to extend my apology to Abe Andres and to his family because I know that even though they weren't there, they were affected by what had happened)," Duterte-Carpio said when interviewed by the media last June 29, 2012.
Almost a decade later, the incident is still fresh in the minds of the previous residents of Suliman in Agdao, Davao City who were the subject of the demolition order.
A certain Erick, former resident of the demolished area, said Duterte-Carpio was even loved and respected more by the residents after the incident.
"Mas nisalig pa nuon mi ron kang mayor na dili jud mi niya pasagdan isip mga katawhan niya [We even trust the mayor more (after the punching incident) that she will never leave us as her constituents], Erick said.
As for Sheriff Andres, he said in a messenger interview, "Unremembered that (the incident) already."