Davao Cong. Paolo Duterte Reacts To Mentioning of his District’s Infra Funds amid House Flood Control Probe
PAOLO DUTERTE – The Davao City 1st District Congressman stressed that his district has nothing to hide under the P51-billion infrastructure funds.
Amid the flood control issue in the Philippines, both the Senate and the House of Representatives opened an investigation. In the Senate, the hearing was led by the Blue Ribbon Committee chaired by Senator Rodante Marcoleta.
Recently, the House of Representatives also held another inquiry on the flood control projects issue in the country. At the hearing, the infrastructure funds allegedly granted to the Davao 1st District was mentioned.
An official of the Department of Public Works and Highways, DPWH Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, reaffirmed her previous statement in an interview that Davao 1st District Cong. Paolo Duterte was allegedly granted P51-billion for infrastructure funds. The said amount was supposedly given during the last three (3) years of the term of his father, former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
Former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte is currently under the custody of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands. He is faced with an accusation of crimes against humanity before the ICC over the drug war of his administration.
With regards to the alleged P51-billion infra budget given to his district, Cong. Paolo Duterte stressed that “Davao has nothing to hide”. Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, he also dared the officials to investigate all the projects in his district.
“Kung gusto n’yo talagang maghanap ng ghost projects under that ₱51B, sige lang, investigate it all. Ipakita ang records, tingnan ang aktwal. Nandoon ang katotohanan—mga proyektong nakikita, naitayo, at nagagamit ng mga tao sa Davao,” he expressed.
Furthermore, Cong. Paolo Duterte called on his fellow solons to allegedly not use their family to divert the issue. According to him, “he is not like the others” and he has even once removed a DPWH regional director due to corruption issues.
“Kaya huwag ninyo kaming gawing panakip-butas. Focus on the real issues — flood control anomalies, payola, ug ang mga opisyal nga nisulti mismo nga nanuhol sila,” the Davao City 1st District Congressman said.
Moreover, based on the report, Davao 1st District Cong. Paolo Duterte also dared his fellow congressmen for the presentation of evidence to really show who are truly serving the people and who are stealing public funds. He told them to stop from allegedly flipping the story to turn to their family.
“Huwag puro salita, ipakita ninyo ang ebidensya ng trabaho ninyo. Para makita gyud kinsa ang tinuod nga nagserbisyo ug kinsa ang nangurakot,” Duterte said.
Previously, while in The Hague, Netherlands, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte claimed that the flood control corruption allegedly existed already even before former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s term.