Duterte dad defends daughter, flashes dirty finger

Responding to critics of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio who mauled a court sheriff late last week, the city’s acting mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Monday defended his daughter by flashing the dirty finger in front of television cameras. “Kayong mga kolumnista: O!" said Duterte, quickly motioning with the expletive in body language. Serving as acting mayor as his daughter went on leave, Duterte followed the gesture by swearing also in front of the cameras. “[Kung mayor] ako, hindi lang sampal ang inabot no’n," he added during a press conference reported by Bernadette Reyes in GMA News TV’s “State of the Nation" newscast.
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV Duterte, a long-time Davao City mayor allegedly behind the vigilante Davao Death Squad, now serves as the city’s vice mayor. He also took charge of his daughter’s office as acting mayor after Duterte-Carpio filed a leave of absence to give way to a government probe into Friday’s punching incident. Meanwhile, a Davao-based Jesuit priest has expressed support for Duterte-Carpio, explaining that “when anger is provoked by wrong, anger is not only justified, it is a virtue." The punching incident on Friday drew mixed reactions from social media users, with one user describing her action as “unbecoming of a city mayor." Duterte-Carpio on Friday beat up a sheriff who was trying to enforce a demolition order against a Davao City community. — With Paterno Esmaquel II/VS, GMA News