FIRST District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte said that “Davao City has nothing to hide,” in terms of the city’s flood control projects, following the statements of ACT Teachers Party-list Representative Antonio Tinio.
“Tinio’s so-called exposé is nothing but a desperate and ignorant attempt to drag Davao into another circus of baseless accusations. You claim to have ‘uncovered’ anomalies — but did you ever question DPWH with your so-called facts? Or did you just piece together numbers to sound relevant again?” he said in a statement on Wednesday, November 5, 2025.
He challenged Tinio not to focus solely on Davao City but to direct his attention to Luzon instead.
Duterte said that if Tinio truly wanted accountability, he should start in areas “where it actually matters.” He added that even former Governor Chavit Singson had admitted that there were ghost and substandard projects.
Duterte also alleged that Tinio was being paid by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., as he questioned President Marcos about the projects of his son, House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Representative Sandro Marcos, and his cousin, Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Duterte further claimed that First Lady Liza Marcos is a protector of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and that she had received a huge amount of money from Chinese sources.
“HOY BANGAG!! WAY NISUMBONG SA GHOST PROJECT SA IMONG ANAK? KAY AKOY MUADTO SA ILOCOS UG MAGINSPECT!” he wrote in all caps in his statement.
(Hey, you drug addict! Didn’t anyone report the ghost project of your son? Because I’ll go to Ilocos and inspect it myself!)
Duterte said that every flood control project along the Davao and Matina Rivers was implemented, inspected, and validated by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Commission on Audit (COA). He stressed that the structures exist and are serving the people.
He clarified that the projects are not “ghosts,” unlike the politics that, he said, some people revive only when they need attention.
‘Stop using Davao’
Duterte said that Tinio and others should stop using Davao for their political drama. He emphasized that his team builds, delivers, and protects Dabawenyos, while others merely pretend to talk and investigate.
“Until then, stop using Davao as your political punching bag. We don’t owe anyone an apology for doing our job right,” he said.
He advised Tinio to come to Davao personally to see the projects and talk to the residents who have benefited from them, and only then he would realize that what is missing in their investigation is the truth.
Challenge to send real engineers
The congressman also challenged the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to stop pretending that their investigation is a “national audit” when they are sending “retired police, recycled appointees, and non-engineers” to Davao City to take photos of working projects.
Duterte said that if they want credibility, they should send real engineers — not those allegedly paid by President Marcos. He added that if they want to see ghost projects, they should go back to Luzon and other regions that only have documents as proof.
He reiterated that the flood control projects in Davao are tangible, made of concrete, sturdy, and being used by the people. He added that the city does not need lectures from individuals who “can’t fix their own backyard,” and urged them to stop wasting resources.
To recall, Duterte previously lashed out at Tinio, accusing him of pretending to be a “champion of transparency” following the former’s call to investigate the Manila Bay Dolomite Beach project. Duterte said this was merely an attempt to smear the administration of his father, former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
‘Red flags’ in flood projects in Davao City
In a national media interview, Tinio claimed that 80 out of 121 flood control projects in Davao City had “red flags,” prompting his call for an investigation.
He said that the allegedly anomalous public works projects cost around ₱4 billion, covering areas along the Davao River and Matina River. His team reportedly found irregularities such as overpricing, duplicate projects, and “ghost” projects.
“That’s why we need a deeper probe on these projects, especially since the people are calling for accountability for everyone, and this includes the Dutertes and their use of public funds, in this case, flood control and other infrastructure projects,” he said.
Investigation in Davao City
DPWH) Undersecretary Arthur Bisnar, with Infrastructure ICI Special Adviser Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. and Mayor Benjamin Magalong, on the morning of Wednesday, November 5, arrived in Davao City to inspect several major infrastructure projects across the city.
The officials inspected the damaged construction of Road Slope Protection Structure – Improvement of Critical Intersections, including installation of Rockfall Netting at Jct. Shrine Hills along Davao City Diversion Road and the damaged dyke along Gravahan in Davao City.
Sentiments of netizens
Upon the announcement of the investigation in Davao City, many Dabawenyos and netizens expressed their dissenting views on the matter, asking why the investigation has reached the city when other regions are the ones experiencing severe flooding due to the substandard and ghost flood projects.
Donald Humo Ibe commented in a post of SunStar Davao, saying that the ICI should conduct their investigation in every part of the Philippines and not conduct a premature investigation.
“Ginahino ninyong kataw anan inyong kaugalingon (You are only embarrassing yourselves),” he said.
In another comment, Earl T. Valdehuesa, questioned why the ICI did not conduct any investigation in Cebu province, considering that the area is being flooded due to typhoon Tino.
Similarly, Judith Sia Cor, a netizen who implies to be a resident of Cebu, invited the ICI to investigate their area in Cebu as there a number of flood control projects there and not in areas where there was no flooding, while one Peter Tapayan Abiso requested the investigating team to “make their service be felt” in their place in Cebu .
Additionally, Warin Dave Manico said that the ICI is wasting their time and is disregarding the people who are in real need of their attention. He said that people are already being drawn into floodwaters.
Luiscita Pellazar, in a comment, also told the DPWH that several deaths have been recorded in Cebu, but nobody has ever been imprisoned for the “ghost flood projects.”
“DPWH mga bagag apog daghan na namatay sa baha sa Cebu ang mga KAWATAN na mga sangkot sa flood control wa pay napriso bisan isa MAUWAW sad mo oy. Karon naa mo dha adto mos Cebu tabangi tawon tua ninyo ang mga tawo (DPWH, you’re so shameless. Many people have already died in the floods in Cebu, yet the THIEVES involved in flood control projects haven’t even had one person jailed. You should be ashamed. Now you’re there — go to Cebu and help the people, they’re right there),” she said. RGP
