DAVAO City First District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte said Thursday he refused to participate in what he called a “scripted circus” following the investigation of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).
"I don't run from real investigations. I only refuse to be part of a scripted circus pretending to be one," Duterte said in a Facebook post on Dec. 5.
He accused those behind the probe of being “plagued with rats” and allegedly paid by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, questioning whether they truly represent teachers. He called the ICI a “propaganda factory” meant to cover up the administration’s failures and target critics.
Duterte said those seeking the truth should not hold investigations on a stage with a teleprompter or preach bravery while serving a propaganda committee.
Duterte maintained that his records are open and his conscience clean. “The records are readily available, and the projects are there ready to be inspected. The ICI can simply obtain such records and compare them to the projects implemented,” he added.
He said he was never part of the House Appropriations Committee nor involved in fund disbursement or project implementation, saying he sees no reason to appear before the ICI.
Declined invitation
On Dec. 3, Duterte formally declined the ICI’s request to appear before its inquiry into alleged irregularities in flood control projects in Davao City’s First District. He described the commission as “powerless” over Congress and accused it of political harassment.
In a letter to ICI Chair Andres B. Reyes Jr., Duterte said the commission—created under Executive Order No. 94 and part of the Executive branch—cannot summon a sitting lawmaker. He called the invitation “vague and ambiguous” and lacking a legal basis.
Duterte also noted that the Executive already has access to all necessary documents through departments, including DPWH, DBM, DOJ, DENR, DICT, and DTI, making Congress's involvement unnecessary. He emphasized he had no role in the House Appropriations Committee from 2019 to 2022, linking him to the alleged anomalies.
Call to probe Marcos, Romualdez
Duterte said the ICI should instead probe President Marcos, his family, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, citing revelations from former Congressman Elizalde Co about alleged anomalous flood control projects in Ilocos and Eastern Visayas from 2022 to 2025.
“It is continuing political propaganda and harassment against our family,” he said, accusing the administration of using the ICI to divert attention from controversies and weaken the Duterte family ahead of the 2028 elections.
ACT Teachers reaction
Meanwhile, ACT Teachers Party-list Representative Antonio Tinio said Duterte’s refusal to face the probe is insufficient.
"Bakit biglang dinaga si Polong? Anyare sa 'I welcome the investigation' at 'wala tayong' tinatago, wala tayong kinakatakutan? Wala ka lang palang sisiputan (Why the sudden refusal? What happened to ‘I welcome the investigation’ and ‘I have nothing to hide, nothing to fear’? He ended up not attending)," Tinio said Dec. 4. He previously urged the ICI to investigate roughly 80 flood control contracts worth P4.4 billion in Davao City’s First District from 2019 to 2022. RGP