DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte expressed high respect for her father, former city mayor and now Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte saying she finds it "petty" to argue with him on what policies best suit the city.
Duterte said she does not see sense in arguing with her father particularly on their disagreement on whether the Watershed Code should be amended.
"Wa lang siguro mi nagkasinabot pero mao pud na akong point (Perhaps we misunderstood each other but his point and my point are the same)" Duterte said Thursday in an interview.
Mayor Duterte is referring to the city's Watershed Code. Tamugan River, declared as a protected area on said code, have long been eyed by utility firms, Davao City Water District (DCWD) and Hedcor Inc. (Hedcor), who both want to construct infrastructure there, for their respective projects of Surface Water Development Plan and Hydropower plants.
The lady mayor has objected the amendment of said code while Vice Mayor Duterte stands for amendment.
Mayor Sara Duterte said although they may have disagreements on the matter, she has high respect for her father.
She reiterated earlier her statement that she knew on her first day as vice mayor in 2007 that she would run as city mayor, as the only person she considered that could defeat her would be her father.
"I knew then kay walay lain. Third termer si mayor eh so I knew then naa sa akoa ang responsibilidad. Ako ang sunod, and the way I look at it, the only person nga makapildi sa akoa is si Mayor so dili pud ko gusto makipagaway nga ingana. Petty kaayo siya nga butang para sa akoa. (I knew then because there was no one else. Mayor Rodrigo then was in his third term so the responsibility was on me. I was next and the way looked at it, the only person who could defeat me was him so I do not want to fight over things like that. I find arguing over things like that very petty)" Duterte said in an interview after her oath taking on Monday.
Duterte, however, remained in her stand not to amend the Watershed Code and also expressed opinion on the statement of Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on the matter after he took his oath on Wednesday.
"Nagtanaw ko sa news ganiha and i heard nigawas man gyud sa iyang baba (I watched the news wherein I heard it come from his mouth) Ingon siya nga 'protect protect protect' (He said 'ptotect protect protect) and thats also my point. The areas that they are looking at are already protected areas and there's a reason why they are protected areas. My premise is it's already a protected area," Mayor Duterte said.
"Wa lang siguro mi nagkasinabot (Perhaps we misunderstood each other) Kung imoha nang hilabtan isa ka protected area what would prevent na hilabtan na nimo tanan. (If you would touch one protected area what would prevent you from touching all of it?) There is a reason," she said. (JCZ)