I met Vice Mayor of Davao City, Sara Inday Duterte for the first time on July 21, 2009, being invited by Edgar B. Aglipay (PDGEN ret.) of the Philippine Retirement Authority (Manila) to its 24th anniversary celebrations.
Last week I was able to meet Sara Duterte in her office and asked for another meeting with her. Thank you very much to Mr. Lemuel G. Ortino, chief-of-staff, office of the Vice Mayor, and to Jojo and Mitch from the staff, making it possible to talk to Sara Duterte for almost an hour, although having a fully packed and concise schedule.
Sara Duterte, Vice Mayor of Davao City, one forth German (as she said!), a simple but awesome intelligent woman, who knows, how to move on, when it comes to answer my questions. I got a lot of questions. Some of them, and the Vice Mayors answers are here:
Davao Vice Mayor, Inday Sara Duterte
1. How can Davao City attract more investors and pensioners to settle down here?
“Sure, there are a lot of reasons. Just to mention some among many others: First, the peace and order situation and the public safety. The Philippine’s first emergency 911 call center was one of the priority development programs of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. A state of the art communication system that Davao City shares in common to only two other countries in the world that has this system – Canada and the U.S. The highest percentage of calls, received per category are regarding law enforcements and medical emergencies. The Davao City Police mobile cars patrolling the city were all equipped with two-way radio transceivers netted with the Central 911 Call Center. – The K-9 Unit conducts daily sniffing/inspections of key areas and cargoes at the Davao International Airport, public markets, schools, and even churches. The unit responds to calls regarding suspicious circumstances such as unattended bags and baggage and bomb threats. One could also mention the Davao City Defense and Security Unit or the City Anti Drug Abuse Council among many others. Davao City doesn’t know kidnapping and ransoms. – What else makes Davao City attractive? Sure, the low cost of diong business, the one stop shop for business application, the very skilled human resources, the good climate (typhoon-free), the laid-back environment or the rural-urban lifestyle.
Many other things could me mentioned and touched only slightly. Important is this: the preferred areas for investments are information and communications technology (call centers etc.), agri-business and food processing, tourism and recreational facilities (business hotels, beach and mountain resorts, restaurants), or establishments of foreign bank branches.”
2. What do you think about the bridge project to Samal Island?
“No doubts, a possible bridge would be an important linkage of two areas (cities) and the possibility of shared economies. Still “dugay pa” – it will take time and it took already long time.”
3. How do you think are your chances to become the next mayor of Davao City?
“That’s not easy to answer. There are still a lot of things to do, but I am really confident, that many people know me and about my plans and dreams for a bright future of this city and its people, locals and foreigners.”
4. If you have leisure time, what do you do then?
“I love to swim – in the pool, or with my family in one of the nice beach resorts.
There are two favorites of us on Samal Island. And, at night, I love to browse in the internet and play.”
With a big smile on our faces, we mentioned, that we are also friends on Facebook (together with some other councilors of Davao City).
It has been an interesting one hour with Davao City Vice Mayor Inday Sara Duterte. We’ll meet us again – for more questions and answers. Daghan salamat po Vice Mayor Sara.
About Klaus
Hi Klaus,
Interesting meeting,you certainly have good connections there.
Keep up the good work,
regards Chas.
Woman in power!!! way to go Davao City!!!Klaus, you are one lucky guy!
Guten Morgen or Guten Tag Klaus!
We think you´ve done a very interesting move there to establish such an excellent and influential connection for us “on-coming” pensioners to retire in Davao.
(Indeed an intelligent, attractive and strong lady to become the next Mayor of Davao City!).
I think when Ivy and myself are ready to settle and retire finally in Davao City, you will be the ideal person in business to help/assist us with all the requirements and paper work
to do!
Hoping to see you and Rossana soon in Davao City and please carry on with your excellent work to keep the retirees to be all-over-the-world well informed.
Till then… !Viele Liebe Gruesse! across the miles from Rudy & Ivy
Hi Klaus, both top city chief executives are Dutertes? Are they related to each other?
You’ll see Duterte grand kids in Davao politics soon. Damn! Typical Philippine political dynasty. Can’t this people find any other jobs aside from being politicians? They’ve really turned politics into a livelihood…
Hello!
Did you mean Nepotism? It sounds like nepotism to me but if she is
qualified and doing a good job why shouldn’t she be the next Mayor.
Ops! having said that, am actually unfamiliar with your politics
perhaps it’s a tradition.
in the Philippines powerful family’s who have powerful influence stay in power in there respective towns and city’s generation after generation .maybe the grandfather then one of his sons becomes mayor and then the grandson or cousin yes they are technicaly voted into office but there is a lot of stuff that goes on behind the scenes or behind close doors under the table that never get discussed that helps them get elected. in Cebu for example i can think of two city’s one being Danao where the Durano family stays in power one way or another! and Mandaue City where the Ouano family is always in power how is that that the citizens constantly vote for them over and over, especially since all i ever hear is negative comments from there citizens i have spoke to about them! make you wonder !
Hi chasdv, yeah, it was really an interesting meeting. I am glad the vice mayor agreed in regular meetings. I am sure, I have a lot more questions. Yes, I would say, I have some good connections to the city council. I really can describe some councillors as good friends.
Hi Vanessa, honestly,I lIKE WOMAN IN POWER – especially when it comes to Davao City’s vice mayor and some female councillors. Don’t get me wrong – there’s no discrimination when it comes to MEN IN POWER! I wrote a lot of stuff about politicians during the last years. One woman in power, I’ll surely never forget, has been CORY AQUINO. I was honoured to meet her twice personally at the late 1980s.
Thanks for your comment, Vanessa!
Hi Rudy and Ivy in Germany, guten Tag, good day, it’s still 5 pm in the Philippines. Thank you so very much for your kind words and your trust in our business. Of course, we’re not sure if Sara Inday Duterte will become the next Davao City’s mayor. After the election we’ll see. I am also still planning some more interviews with different councillors in near future. They signalized already their readiness. Please don’t get me wrong – it’s election propaganda. It’s just interesting to ask questions, which might keep on preying on our minds.
Best wishes also across the miles to Germany… .
Hi Roy, YES, they are father and daughter. …
UNBELIEVABLE.
I find nothing unbelievable about this. Both Mayor Duterte and Vice Mayor Sarah Duterte are very well qualified and doing a good job for the city! It is the people’s choice who their elected officials are, and they chose these two. I see no problem with that! I would also bet money that Inday Sarah will be the next Mayor.
I agree 100% with you, Bob. I am also pretty sure, that Inday Sara will be the next Mayor.
Same here.
I’ve been impressed with the vice mayor so far. She’s practically been pseudo mayor for some time. The elected mayor seems to be on leave more often than in office this past term & she’s jumped off the bench & performed admirably.
And this is coming from a guy whose been highly critical of the current mayor. I’m not exactly a Duterte supporter. I’ve also been pessimistic on a father/daughter tandem when i first heard about it. So far, so good.
Still, I do hear Roy’s sentiments. Personally, I’d also like to see newer, fresher names develop in the Davao arena. Dabawenyos know what I’m talking about.
I see no way that it could be termed as nepotism. Inday Sarah was not hired by her father, she was elected by the citizens of Davao!
Hi Cina, thanks. Very well said!!!
In the above example, it is by no means a tradition in the Phil for father and daughter to be both mayor and vice-mayor of the same city they are serving, at least not in the way they are lawfully or officially in power.
Hi Macky, thanks for your comment. I know very well, what you want to tell us. And, honestly, many people (locals and expats) are impressed with the vice mayor so far, like you. Count me in also, although, I always try my best to walk on a neutral path when it comes to politics and politicians.
Hi Atong Estrada, in many places in the Philippines and all over the world you can find real nepotism with people’s exploitation and all its negative concomitant. To mention Rodrigo Duterte as Mayor and Sara Inday Dutere as Vice Mayor, if you talk about nepotism, is really unnecessary. Let’s talk about the admirable late President Cory Aquino. Among many other candidates, her son Noynoy has been nominated for the next elections. Is this nepotism? I am not sure about it. Anyway, thanks for your opinion.
Hi Bob, exactly!
Hi Roy, thanks for your opinion. If I am not mistaken, I listened to many Philippinos during the last ten years of my permanent stay here. Why, many times, they mentioned the term “tradition”, when it comes to this topic???
Hay naku, the Filipinos you might have talked to are ill-informed. & I am the one who’s better informed? LOL. Seriously though, “tradition” is something that you hand down to your next generation. Hopefully, these are very sound practices that we want our children to continue doing. That said, it may be true that there is a “tradition” in a family to serve the people by running for public office. A “lolo” (grandfather) may have been the town first municipal mayor, the son eventually also runs as mayor & his daughter also tries public office. This is very well legal. The same for a husband who’s been re-elected 3 x consecutively for the same position, he then lets his wife run for the same position he’s barred from running.
What I find unbelievable (& I may be wrong if somebody has already done it) is that both top positions are occupied by people who are one degree away from each other. I have yet to know of a city run by a tandem of this nature. So IMHO, this is not a “tradition”. For me, such tandem presents potential problems like conflict of interest, etc. I’d rather not go into details because my main point really is to dispute the impressions you get from the Filipinos you’ve come across. Finally, w/ regard to former Pres. Aquino & her son, Senator Noynoy Aquino w/c you pointed out in relation to this topic and the issue of nepotism, I appreciate your candor in saying that “I’m not sure about it”. I can understand why you are not sure about it since you pointed out that you’ve been in the country for 10 yrs. Pres. Aquino & her son, Senator Aquino were not mother-son tandem in politics. When Cory was the Pres (’86-’92), her vice-pres was Doy Laurel. Meanwhile son Noynoy Aquino run as a congressman in 1998 & has become senator to this date. Clearly, there is no nepotism here. Both positions are elective and not appointed. Nepotism happens when the public official appoints families to high-ranking govt positions. W/ more reasons as well that the Cory-Noynoy duo does not apply in the issue at hand as the former mother-son govt officials were not Mayor & vice-mayor of the same local govt unit w/n the same period. Instead, Cory was in the executive while Noynoy was in the legislative branch w/n 6 years apart. True, there’s been bro & sis in the senate & even mother & son in the senate as well. It’s not ideal but it happens. Father & Son for the executive positions like Pres & V-Pres or Mayor & V-Mayor is more phenomenal to me.
Hi Roy, and also “Hay naku”. I know very well this expression. I live in the Philippines since 1999 permanently and but I have been staying temporarily here since 1976 (!). I met ,among many other politicians or Philippine artists, late President Cory Aquino and late former Vice President Doy Laurel (and his whole family) personally during state visits in Germany during my active time as Head of Legal Affairs of the Philippine Community Berlin. – So, you’re the one who is better informed. Okay Roy. I really appreciate your additional explanations. No problems with this. I really got the point regarding traditions. Again my finale comment: traditions has nothing to do with Davao City’s situation. As Bob said, Sara Inday Duterte was not hired by her father, she was elected by the people. As long, this or she is for the advantage of this liveable city and its people (and count me and my family in) I really don’t get any problems with it.
Hi Mike, thanks for your comment. Sure, you can find this phenomenon all over the Philippines and all over the world… .
I hear mike’s sentiments. I agree with him too.
Just a thought to balance things out, one fair example of legit electoral succession: the Kennedys in Massachusetts or the Bushes in Texas. 2 families in opposite sides of the political spectrum.
I too have my qualms & frustrations about some family dynasties on the philippines. Western Mindanao is teeming with them. You could also bring up the growing number of Arroyos in the House of Reps.
But I do think that the legitimacy to her being Vice Mayor can’t be questioned. One may have issues with her age (experience?) or having dad as her boss (2 things, by the way, that will not be an issue if she is voted mayor), but she was fairly elected & seems to be handling herself well.
Hi Macky,your thoughts to balance things out are very much appreciated and really very true. Thanks a lot. As I said before, I am not doing any election propaganda here – and, meeting a lot of politicians and writing about them let never came out any propaganda. Speaking about Vice Mayor Duterte: the legitimacy to her being in this position can’t be really questioned right now. I am really looking forward to my next meeting with her.