DAVAO City First District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte has questioned the scope of the newly formed Truth Commission, saying investigations into alleged drug-war killings should not come at the expense of scrutiny of other issues involving billions of pesos in public funds.
In a statement, Duterte said he supports efforts to establish the truth about alleged killings linked to the government's anti-drug campaign but questioned what he described as the differing urgency given to the drug war and alleged irregularities in flood-control projects.
“Truth is truth. Hindi puwedeng pili lang ang gustong hanapan ng katotohanan,” Duterte said.
“Kung taxpayer-funded ang Truth Commission, then taxpayers deserve the whole truth — not just the convenient parts,” he added.
The Philippine Truth Commission was launched in May 2026 as an independent, civilian-led initiative of church leaders, human rights advocates, lawyers, and academics. Its stated mandate is to document and preserve the truth about human rights violations connected to the anti-drug campaign and related abuses, provide platforms for victims and survivors to testify, and promote accountability and institutional reform.
The commission is chaired by former International Criminal Court judge Raul Pangalangan and includes Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David as an adviser, and Dr. Raquel Fortun among its commissioners. It held its first public truth-telling session in August and has said it has documented more than 7,500 incidents and reached five cities.
Duterte said there should be no objection to hearings involving alleged killings, stressing that victims should be heard and those responsible for crimes should be held accountable.
He then questioned why similar urgency is not being applied to allegations involving flood-control projects, particularly those involving large amounts of taxpayers' money.
“Pero habang abala ang lahat sa paghahanap ng katotohanan tungkol sa drug war, nasaan ang parehong urgency sa flood-control corruption? (But while everyone is busy seeking the truth about the drug war, where is the same urgency in uncovering the truth about flood-control corruption?),” he said.
His remarks come as the National Bureau of Investigation continues its probe into alleged irregularities in flood-control projects in his congressional district.
The NBI earlier identified 47 projects out of 100 flood-control projects in the district for closer examination. The projects initially under investigation were valued at about P1.9 billion and, based on DPWH records cited by the NBI, were awarded to Genesis88 Construction Inc.
On September 21, the NBI said it had subpoenaed Davao DPWH Regional Director Juby Cordon and three construction companies as part of the investigation. The bureau said its initial review had found alleged ghost and substandard projects and other potential irregularities, although the investigation remains ongoing.
NBI was also reviewing a preliminary Commission on Audit report involving about P7 billion in 51 Davao flood-control projects awarded to one contractor from 2018 to 2024, a figure substantially higher than the previously reported P1.9 billion.
Duterte argued that a broader search for accountability should trace where public funds went, who benefited, and who authorized or protected questionable transactions, rather than concentrating on only one issue.
“Hindi ko sinasabing huwag imbestigahan ang drug war. Imbestigahan lahat (I didn’t say ‘don’t investigate the drug war. Investigate all),” Duterte said.
He also questioned whether the government's investigations were being pursued with equal urgency across different areas, citing Leyte and Ilocos as examples of places where contractors have handled billions of pesos worth of projects.
His comments were made amid continuing investigations into flood-control spending nationwide and the Truth Commission's ongoing public sessions on alleged abuses during the anti-drug campaign.
The commission's work is separate from the government's criminal investigations and from the International Criminal Court proceedings involving former president Rodrigo Duterte. Its own stated objective is to create a public record through testimony, research, documentation, and public truth-telling, with accountability and institutional reform as longer-term goals.
The Truth Commission is scheduled to hold another public session featuring the testimony of Clarita Alia, a Davao City resident whose four sons were killed years before and during the period associated with the so-called Davao Death Squad. The commission said her testimony will also examine reported killings in Davao City before the 2016 national anti-drug campaign.
Duterte maintained that the public should not have to choose which issues deserve scrutiny, arguing that a search for truth should follow all relevant leads, particularly when public funds and alleged abuses are involved.
“Because kung ang isang Truth Commission ay sobrang sipag maghanap ng katotohanan sa isang isyu pero tila mas tahimik sa isang corruption scandal involving billions of taxpayers’ money, natural lang na magtanong ang publiko (Because if a Truth Commission is so diligent in seeking the truth on one issue but seems quieter on a corruption scandal involving billions of pesos in taxpayers’ money, it is only natural for the public to ask questions),” he said. DEF
