Davao City Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte fired back at ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio after the House Deputy Minority Leader sought an Ombudsman probe into alleged irregularities in flood control projects in Davao City’s First District, accusing Tinio of singling out Davao while larger flood control controversies remain under national scrutiny.
Tinio asked Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla to investigate alleged anomalies involving around ₱4.4 billion in Davao City flood control projects. His complaint reportedly cited 121 projects implemented through the Department of Public Works and Highways from 2019 to 2022, with 80 allegedly showing irregularities.
Duterte rejected Tinio’s move and questioned why the lawmaker was focusing on Davao instead of filing complaints against engineers, contractors, and political personalities linked to questionable flood control projects nationwide.
“Why is Mr. Tinio selectively blind?” Duterte said.
The Davao lawmaker defended the city’s infrastructure record, saying DPWH Region XI has records of completed and above-standard projects in Davao City from 2020 to 2022 amounting to approximately ₱49.84 billion. He said these included roads, drainage systems, bridges, and other public works that Dabawenyos continue to benefit from.
“For the record, the Department of Public Works and Highways Region XI itself maintains records of completed and above-standard infrastructure projects in Davao City from 2020 to 2022 amounting to approximately ₱49.84 billion,” Duterte said.
Duterte also claimed Davao City has had “zero budget for 4 years now,” pushing back against Tinio’s allegations and accusing him of recycling anti-Duterte attacks instead of acknowledging completed infrastructure projects.
“But instead of acknowledging actual infrastructure accomplishments, ‘Tontong Tinio’ appears more interested in recycling troll narratives and politically motivated accusations meant to demonize the Duterte family,” he said.
Duterte further accused Tinio of forgetting the mandate of ACT Teachers, saying the party-list was supposed to fight for educators, classrooms, salaries, and Filipino students.
“Instead, Tinio has become a full-time anti-Duterte political operator whose press conferences now outnumber his actual initiatives for teachers,” Duterte said.
He also hit what he called Tinio’s “selective outrage, selective investigations, and selective courage,” arguing that flooding should be addressed through serious engineering, long-term planning, and coordination among agencies.
“Flooding is a national problem requiring serious engineering, long-term planning, and cooperation among agencies, not grandstanding before cameras and carrying stacks of folders to create headlines,” Duterte said.
Duterte closed by framing Tinio’s move as political theater, saying Filipinos can distinguish genuine public service from attacks dressed up as accountability.
