Pulong Duterte welcomes ICI probe into Davao City flood control projects

Saying he has nothing to hide, Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte on Wednesday said he is open to the investigation of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) regarding flood control projects in his district.

“Una sa lahat, I welcome the investigation. Wala tayong tinatago, wala tayong tinatakbuhan, at wala tayong kinakatakutan.  Kung may imbestigasyon ang ICI, that is very much welcome,” Duterte said in a statement.

(Firstly, I welcome the investigation. I have nothing to hide, I am not running away from anything, I not afraid of anything. If there’s an ICI investigation, that is very much welcome.)

“Mas maganda ngang imbestigahan – para makita kung saan talaga nanggaling ang problema at sino ang tunay na nakinabang. Para matapos na ang paulit-ulit na narrative na Duterte ang may kasalanan kahit saan ang anomalya,” he added.

(It is better to have an investigation – so that we can see where the problems are coming from and who truly benefited from it. So that the narrative that the Dutertes are to blame for anomalies will end.)

Duterte made the remarks in response to the call of House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio for the ICI to probe at least 80 flood control contracts worth P4.4 billion in Davao City from 2019 to 2022.

Citing records from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Tinio alleged that issues like double funding, projects at different locations, flood control project durations that are shorter than what was approved, and possible overpricing marred these contracts.

Earlier this week, the ICI said Duterte, House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos, and three other lawmakers will be invited to the ICI’s hearings this week as resource persons in its ongoing probe of the flood control controversy.

In his statement on Wednesday, Duterte said he wanted to correct the “wrong information” allegedly being spread by Tinio.

“Yes, naging congressman ako noong 2019. Pero hindi ibig sabihin ako ang nag-design, nag-award, o nag-implement ng lahat ng proyekto mula 2019 hanggang 2022. Ang DPWH ang implementing agency, may sariling bidding, sariling proseso, sariling responsibilidad. Bakit ako lang? Bakit Davao lang?” Duterte said.

(Yes, I became a congressman in 2019. But it doesn’t mean that I designed, awarded, or implemented all of the projects from 2019 to 2022. The DPWH is the implementing agency, it has its own bidding, processes, and responsibilities. Why only me? Why only Davao?)

In response, Tinio claimed that Duterte’s statement was an admission that his district had billions of pesos worth of questionable flood control projects.

“So inaamin niya na kabilang ang distrito niya sa mga distritong may bilyon-bilyong flood control anomalies. ‘Bakit ako lang’ daw. Thank you for your candor,” the minority lawmaker said in a statement.

(So he admitted that his district was among the districts that had billions worth of anomalous flood control projects. He said, ‘Why only me?’ Thank you for your candor.)

Tinio expressed hope that Duterte will “fully cooperate in uncovering these anomalies” to make everyone accountable, even if it meant reaching Malacañang. — JMA, GMA Integrated News