Davao City Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte on Tuesday criticized ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio, accusing him of selective criticism over corruption and flooding issues while ignoring broader controversies involving the national government.
In a statement, Duterte said it was “deeply ironic” for Tinio to position himself as a crusader against corruption and flooding in Davao City, while alleged irregularities tied to flood control projects across the country continue to hound the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Duterte questioned why Tinio was focusing on Davao City instead of filing complaints against engineers, contractors, and political figures allegedly linked to questionable infrastructure projects nationwide.
“Why focus solely on Davao while conveniently ignoring the larger controversies hounding the present administration and its allies?” Duterte said.
The lawmaker cited records from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region XI, which he said showed about P49.84 billion worth of infrastructure projects completed in Davao City from 2020 to 2022. These projects include roads, drainage systems and bridges that residents continue to benefit from, he added.
Duterte also claimed that Davao City has received zero budget allocations in the past four years, though he did not provide further details.
He accused Tinio of pushing “politically motivated accusations” against the Duterte family and neglecting his responsibilities as a representative of educators.
“ACT Teachers was supposed to fight for educators, classrooms, salaries, and the future of Filipino students,” Duterte said. “Instead, Tinio has become a full-time anti-Duterte political operator.”
Duterte further argued that flooding is a nationwide issue that requires long-term planning and coordination among government agencies, rather than what he described as “grandstanding.”
The statement comes amid ongoing political tensions between allies of the Duterte family and members of the current administration, as well as continued scrutiny over public infrastructure spending.
Tinio has yet to issue a response to Duterte’s remarks as of posting.
