MANILA -- Embattled Davao City Mayor Sarah Duterte has found an ally in militant lawyers as they asked investigators not to view the punching incident in a “vacuum”.
Although she may be technically liable for mauling a sheriff at the height of negotiations over a demolition last week, the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) said Duterte stood for the rights of the “poor and powerless.”
“While we must of course follow the ‘rule of law’, this is subsidiary to social and compassionate justice, equity and humanitarian considerations,” NUPL secretary general Edre Olalia said.
Duterte is currently facing an investigation by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) over the incident, where Sheriff Abe Andres suffered bruises after being punched thrice by the burly mayor.
Her one-week leave of absence took effect last Monday as her father Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte temporarily mans the City Government. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)