DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 11 December) — An anti-corruption alliance criticized Davao City 1st District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte, calling his extensive travels abroad a “disservice” to his constituents. Duterte wrote House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III on December 1, requesting travel clearance for his trips to Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, United States, Australia, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, and Singapore, scheduled from December 15, 2025 to February 20, 2026. Earlier this year, after his father (former President Rodrigo Duterte) was arrested and detained, the Davao legislator traveled to the same set of countries, plus Northern Island, obtaining clearance from the House leadership for his March 20 to May 10 trip. In a statement on Thursday, Leo XL Fuentes, convenor of Stand Opposition to Plunder or STOP Corruption Alliance, said that while he recognizes Duterte’s right to travel, government officials should be more mindful of their foreign trips. “Sana all travel! On a serious note, while everyone is entitled to their freedom to move freely, government officials must be prudent in their travels. We hope officials, such as legislators, can prioritize their work, such as legislation, over personal travels,” he said. Fuentes said having more personal travels than accomplishments in his legislative work “would be a disservice to the people.” Jean Lindo, co-chair of the “Panalipdan! Mindanao,” said that if Duterte’s travels are personal, these are extravagant and citizens “usually demand accountability from government officials.” “As far as I am concerned, an extensive travel by a government official is not prohibited, but it would be easier for him if it is related to his duty, it is official, and funded by the government. But he may be required to make a report,” she said. Duterte assured that he will be using his own money for his long travel. The lawmaker also requested that he be allowed to attend “scheduled plenary sessions and meetings virtually” during his travels. In a statement on Thursday, Duterte dismissed criticisms that he would set out on a “world tour.” “This is exactly what they do when they have no credibility of their own — they make up stories about others. First of all, all my trips have official travel clearance from the House,” he said. He said it is a “normal practice in government” to list all possible stopovers or transit countries in the travel authority. “This is exactly what I did whenever I visited my father in the Netherlands — it’s just standard procedure. This is not luxury, not a gimmick — it’s purely compliance,” he said. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
