By DAVAO TODAY
Davao City—A miffed Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte had a 73-year old British Australian national jailed following a heated argument in a road crash, Wednesday morning.
Police arrested Michael Hatcher for “assault” and “disrespecting persons in authority,” as Duterte later filed formal charges at the fiscal’s office.
Duterte’s car, a Toyota SUV, was coming out of Tahimik Avenue when the Honda van of Hatcher, a treasure and deep-sea diver British-Australian, cut in and allegedly collided with his car.
“Pagtabok nako sa Tahimik, gikan siya sa pikas lane, iya kong gisugat gyud bumper-to-bumper. (I was crossing Tahimik (street) and he came from the other lane, his car met us bumper-to-bumper),” he told reporters.
Duterte said he came down from his car to confront Hatcher, but said the foreigner shouted at him and sped off almost hitting him and police officers who responded to the incident.
“Pagbaba namo, pagkatok nako sa passenger side, naa na gani ang pulis atubangan sa iyang sakyanan. Daghan siyag gipangsinggit. Mao to pag-abante niya, hapit mi niya maligsan, nag-ambak mi. Paggukod nako sa iya, ninaog ko, ninaog pod siya, gusto pa gani ko niya kulatahan (When we got down, I knocked at the passenger side while the police was in front of his car. He was screaming at us. Then he sped off and almost ran over us. I chased him and got down. He also got down. Then he wanted to assault me),” said a visibly irate Duterte.
“Nagsiyagit siya (He even shouted): ‘This is only the Philippines, I am an Australian. I don’t give a sh@t here,’” Duterte added.
Duterte said he was miffed by Hatcher’s arrogance.
“Ngano nanganhi pa mo dinhi? Kamo mga foreigners, respect the Philippines. (Why are you here? You foreigners, respect the Philippines), I don’t give a sh@t,” he told reporters.
Hatcher, in an interview on GMA 7 Davao television, denied the vice mayor’s claim.
“He’s saying I assaulted him. He has 20 bodyguards, and I had my hands in the air. And he was pointing his finger at me right in my eyes and screamed the F word and screamed: ‘I will deport you’,” Hatcher said.
At that time, Hatcher said, he had no idea he was confronting with the City’s vice mayor.
He said he sped off because he was involved in a robbery incident in Cagayan de Oro where his friend got killed last February.
Hatcher plans to file a counter-complaint against the vice mayor.
“He’s the freaking vice mayor! Why does he act like that?” he asked.
He told reporters, “(B)oth of us should apologize and let the issue die.”
The young Duterte was also involved in similar situations in the past where he was hot-tempered. In 2011, he flashed a dirty finger sign against critics of his sister, then Mayor Sara Duterte who punched a sheriff during an urban poor community demolition. (davaotoday.com)
Paolo Duterte, Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte
