The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT Teachers) party-list has condemned what it described as the Duterte family’s “attempt to monopolize key government positions” after Vice President Sara Duterte suggested her brother, Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte, to run for either House Speaker or Minority Leader in the upcoming 20th Congress.
House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro did not hold back in criticizing the move, saying, “The Dutertes seem to think that the Philippines is their family corporation where they can simply assign positions to family members as they please.”
Castro emphasized that such an action not only undermines democratic principles but also exposes a desire to centralize power within the Duterte family. “Public office is a public trust, not a family heirloom to be passed around. The Minority Leader position, in particular, is crucial for ensuring checks and balances in our democracy,” she added.
Vice President Duterte made her suggestion during an ambush interview in Davao City on May 17. Her brother, Paolo Duterte, recently won re-election as Davao City’s 1st District representative and is reportedly a candidate for the House’s top leadership roles.
Castro, along with ACT Teachers Representative-elect Antonio Tinio, called on fellow lawmakers to resist what they described as a “blatant attempt to treat our democratic institutions as family possessions.” They stressed that public service is about serving the people, not advancing a family’s political interests.
In a separate development, House Deputy Majority Leader Lorenz Defensor highlighted the critical role of the next House Speaker in shaping the chamber’s stance on Vice President Sara Duterte’s pending impeachment case, which is set to be defended in the Senate trial tentatively scheduled for July 30.
Despite facing political setbacks, the Duterte-backed Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) managed to secure three Senate seats in the 2025 elections. Reelectionists Bong Go and Bato Dela Rosa retained their seats, while Rodante Marcoleta secured a new one. Another Duterte ally, Camille Villar, also won a Senate seat with support from both Sara Duterte and the Marcos party.
Paolo Duterte is also dealing with a separate case of alleged assault against a businessman from Davao City, which his sister, the vice president, has dismissed as “politically motivated.”
