No criminal alive
in Davao City

DAVAO CITY – In Davao , there is no criminal alive, according to Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

He was asked, what did you do with them? He did not answer. I heard a whisper at the back, “They killed themselves by committing suicide.”

The Sunshine Boys made a courtesy call on Duterte and we asked him so many questions covered by our TV channel, with our cameraman Edgar Moncada.

The mayor regaled us with stories of his campaign against criminality that brought over so many investors.

Top councilor Bonifacio Militar who was from Tugis in Pontevedra told us every month, six to seven applications are received by the city to open a subdivision here.

The real estate company of Sen. Manny Villar has already three subdivisions here.

Mayor Duterte said they are screening applicants. Not just anybody is allowed, he said.

* * *

Duterte said the secret is discipline. A resolution authored by Councilor Militar bans smoking and none of us saw one smoking in public.

Ordinary people report a smoker to the police.

The police are also disciplined, we were told.

The mayor works up to 3 a.m., monitoring peace and order in the city. And people support him. Criminals are afraid to roam around, they might meet Mayor Duterte on the road.

Mayor Duterte's nemeses are drug lords. He said his experience is 9 out of 10 apprehended go back to the trade.

They are allowed to commit suicide, we were told.

* * *

How progressive is Davao ? Its population is nearing 1.7 million with three congressional districts.

Its budget is nearly P3 billion with an IRA of P1.7 billion.

Duterte foresees a much faster growth.

Councilor Bonnie Militar who used to head the Committee on Finance said many projects are lined up.

Militar said in one Council Resolution, the city was able to raise taxes by P200 million. In another resolution that reassessed property values, the city made P700 million in real estate taxes.

Davao City has 24 councilors. Eight councilors in every congressional district.

Now Militar is filing a resolution for Davao City to have five congressional districts.

* * *

There are so many things to learn from Davao . Give it to Mayor Duterte who refused to accept a Cabinet position and did not like to be a congressman.

“I am an implementor and don't enjoy other work,” he said.

I wrote it in this column before Duterte will make a good President.*

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