DAVAO City First District Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte lashed out at the congressional TriComm investigation, branding it politically motivated and designed to smear the Duterte family’s name.
“I personally do not trust the so-called TriComm kay klaro kaayo nga naay amo (because it is very clear that they have a master pulling the strings),” Duterte said.
He urged Filipinos to verify projects directly with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) offices instead of relying on what he called “self-proclaimed ‘Tonggressmen.’” He added that citizens have every right to question and check whether projects in their areas were completed as intended.
The congressman said Filipinos have the right to ask and verify whether projects in their areas were actually implemented.
Duterte said he plans to mobilize contacts from across the country to visit DPWH offices and push for accountability from contractors and lawmakers he accused of corruption.
Singling out the Dutertes
He argued that the inquiry deliberately targets his family.
“Filipinos are not stupid. Everybody knows this inquiry is meant to destroy the name of my father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, and our family,” he said.
Earlier, Duterte defended Davao City, saying it has “nothing to hide” and invited investigators to examine project records and completed works. He also accused the House panel of singling out Davao to divert attention from corruption in other districts.
Flood control budget clarified
DPWH documents later clarified that the ₱49.8 billion allocated for Davao from 2020 to 2022 covered a wide range of infrastructure projects — not just flood control, as initially assumed.
Of the total, only ₱9.12 billion went to flood-control systems, while the rest funded roads, bridges, multipurpose buildings, and flagship projects such as the ₱5.5-billion Davao Coastal Road and the ₱10.9-billion Davao Bypass Road.
Spending breakdowns showed ₱17.3 billion in 2020 (₱3 billion for flood control), ₱19.1 billion in 2021 (₱200 million for stand-alone flood projects), and ₱13.3 billion in 2022 (₱5.8 billion for flood mitigation).
DPWH Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral confirmed during a September 9 hearing that Davao City received the full ₱51 billion originally allocated — a figure later corrected to ₱49.8 billion.
House appropriations chair Elizaldy Co previously cited “oversaturation” as the reason for slashing Davao’s 2024 infrastructure budget to ₱1 billion, down from ₱13 billion in 2022.
Call for transparency
The Kabataan Partylist–Southern Mindanao Region (Kabataan-SMR) urged the Duterte family to embrace transparency amid the controversy.
Kabataan-SMR chairperson Cobbie Jan Canda challenged Rep. Duterte to release his Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs) and sign bank secrecy waivers to prove that no public funds were diverted for personal or political gain.
Canda also criticized Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte and Vice President Sara Duterte for dismissing the investigation as a “PR stunt” and a “circus.” He said such remarks dodge legitimate questions about the massive infrastructure spending in Davao’s first district under the Duterte administration.
Canda said the ₱49.8 billion that went to flood-control, roads, bridges, and flagship projects in Davao from 2020 to 2022 deserves close public scrutiny.” RGP