A lawmaker has raised concerns over Davao City 1st District Representative Paolo Duterte’s request to travel to 17 destinations across 16 countries for more than two months, a plan confirmed to GMA News Online through House Secretary General Cheloy Garafil.
House Deputy Minority Leader Antonio Tinio seized on the unusual length and scope of the itinerary, asking, “Ano ba siya? Kinatawan ng distrito o Miss Universe?” His remarks came after Duterte sought Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III’s approval to leave the country from December 15 to February 20, 2026, with planned stops in Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, and Singapore.
Tinio argued that a district representative must be consistently present in Congress, stressing that elected officials owe their constituents full representation during committee deliberations and plenary work. “Ang trabaho ng Congressman ay katawanin ang kanyang distrito. Dapat, mag-expect ang mamamayan ng mas mataas na standard na serbisyo mula sa kanilang mga elected representatives,” he told reporters. He added, “Ang pinaka-basic, of course, ay pumasok sa Kongreso para magdala mo ang interest ng constituents, whether sa committee hearings or plenary.”
The timing of the travel request, Tinio said, raises further questions because Duterte has not appeared before the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), which is conducting an inquiry into flood control projects in his district. “Kaduda-duda rin ang timing ng request dahil ito yung panahon na inaanyayahan siya ng ICI na sumagot ng ilang katanungan hinggil sa mga public infrastructure projects sa 1st District ng Davao. So hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa niya sinasagot ito sa alinmang forum,” he said.
Duterte indicated in his letter that he will shoulder his own travel expenses and intends to join House sessions virtually while abroad. Tinio countered that virtual participation is not a matter of merely watching streamed proceedings. “Under House rules, the House leadership sets the time and date of a virtual session, and it is only done in certain, including emergency circumstances. Attending a plenary session is not about watching it over YouTube, even if you are a member of the House,” he said.
He urged the Speaker to deny the request, citing public perception of impropriety. “Nananawagan tayo sa Speaker na huwag naman pahintulutan yan kasi tingin din ng publiko, abuso ito,” Tinio said, noting that the period Duterte seeks to be away overlaps with session days. He argued that such personal travel during active legislative work sends the wrong signal to the public.
Among Duterte’s planned destinations is the Netherlands, where his father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, is detained in relation to the International Criminal Court’s case on crimes against humanity.
While Bicol Saro Party-list Representative Terry Ridon acknowledged that a lawmaker may file a travel request, he emphasized that investigations must continue regardless of Duterte’s whereabouts. “He should make himself available to investigative bodies such as the Office of the Ombudsman for any proceedings on infrastructure and flood-control projects in his district, and the same standard should apply to other district representatives in whose areas were found to have substandard projects,” Ridon told GMA News Online.
Ridon said legislators may be required to clarify how flood control projects were conceptualized and implemented, noting that such inquiries involve multiple layers of responsibility. “They, [including Congressman Duterte], may be required to provide immediate and direct information on the origination, planning, and implementation of these projects,” he said, stressing that questionable projects rarely materialize without the involvement of lawmakers, DPWH officials, contractors, and executive personnel.
He added that the ICI is expected to continue reviewing Davao City’s infrastructure issues despite Duterte’s absence. “For as long as the ICI subsists, it will be referred to the ICI. So katulad din yung binanggit ko actually, si Congressman Duterte rejected the invitation of the ICI. So our expectation with the ICI would be, talagang they will proceed on investigating Davao City projects even without him. And they will make the proper referral to the Ombudsman.”
Both Tinio and Ridon cited figures that have placed Davao Region’s flood control works under scrutiny. Tinio pointed to at least 80 contracts worth P4.4 billion from 2019 to 2022 that he said were marked by anomalies, including double funding, mismatched project sites, and shortened timelines. Ridon, for his part, referenced DPWH records showing 18 projects in Davao City and Davao Occidental classified as “no structure,” “incomplete,” “poorly situated,” or “unconstructed.”
