Several weeks ago, Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte was foaming, I mean, fuming mad as he warned pirated DVD vendors against the selling of pornographic films. Actually, the fierce mayor more than warned. He threatened. And Dabaweños know it that that when he does, more often these threats cross in bloody lividity some planes--yeah, human body planes.

Just like how he was angered to the hilt by the proliferation of meth in the City years ago (that saw the demise of a number of people whose names appeared on a list of suspected shabu pushers that he announced on TV), the Mayor literally gnashed and putang-ina-ed at the stacks of pirated videos showing very young girls sucking overgrown pacifiers. He cited how these are sold publicly even by young kids themselves.

So he ordered that pirated DVD stalls around the city be cleansed of the Barely 12 vids and all other vids that show human flesh, regardless of sexual orientations and bizarre fetishes.

And came next was the heart-to-heart talk to local pirated video industry players and their advisers. Their studios may not be as glitzy as hollywood but boy, they have their advisers: the community elders and religious leaders. All you need to do is to drive to Quimpo Boulevard here to find them--the pirates, the studious, and their advisers.

But the Mayor is tentacled, and each carries a particular plan that could be fine, plain, gruff, or peculiar.

Calling these pornographic materials a product of sick minds, the mayor prescribed a remedy that might not sit well with moralists and human rights advocates. He invited--well, sort of adviced--the clean pirates to watch the whole industry if they want to be spared of his wrath.

"Ug dili mo gusto maapil, bantayi ninyo nang inyong mga kauban. Ug dili makaya, kay panghuroton ta man gyud mo dihang tanan, dunggaba (If you want to be spared, better watch other vendors. If one is unstoppable, stab him)," he said.

But I'm wondering whether the Mayor is still effective at his scare tactics or perhaps the pirates are just void of fear already that the Mayor's threats and tentacles are no longer working just like before. Why because a week after that, while I was checking on pirated videos along Uyanguren, a vendor asked: "x-rated sir?"