QUEZON CITY—House of Representatives Deputy Minority Leader Antonio Tinio filed a formal complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman on May 19, demanding an investigation into PHP4.4 billion worth of allegedly irregular flood control projects. 

The ACT Teachers Party-list representative targeted infrastructure contracts awarded in Davao City’s First District between 2019 and 2022. 

Representative Tinio aims to hold officials accountable for what he describes as highly questionable allocations during the previous administration.

Meanwhile, Davao City 1st District Representative Paolo "Pulong" Duterte fired back immediately, dismissing the complaint as a politically motivated attack meant to demonize his family. 

Duterte questioned why Tinio is selectively focusing on Davao while ignoring larger nationwide flood control issues and ongoing massive corruption controversies hounding the current administration. 

“It is deeply ironic that Antonio Tinio now wants to parade himself as a crusader against corruption and flooding issues in Davao City, when the entire country is currently witnessing what many are calling the biggest corruption controversy in Philippine history unfolding under the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his son Sandro Marcos, and cousin Martin Romualdez.” Congressman Duterte said on his social media account. 

Defending his district, Representative Paolo Duterte pointed out that the Department of Public Works and Highways has recorded nearly PHP50 billion worth of completed, above-standard infrastructure in Davao City from 2020 to 2022, despite the city receiving zero budget for the past four years.

“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 P49.84 billion.” The Davao Representative highlighted.

“These include roads, drainage systems, bridges, and other public works that Dabawenyos continue to benefit from today. And for the information of the public, Davao City has been zero budget for 4 years now.” He continued.

Duterte further slammed Tinio for abandoning his party-list's mandate to fight for educators and classrooms, labeling him a full-time anti-Duterte political operator. 

“Perhaps this is what happens when a party-list representative forgets his mandate. ACT Teachers was supposed to fight for educators, classrooms, salaries, and the future of Filipino students.” Duterte pointed out. 

He emphasized that resolving the country's flooding crisis requires serious long-term engineering and inter-agency cooperation rather than grandstanding for the cameras. 

“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. Filipinos are intelligent enough to distinguish genuine public service from political theater.” Congressman Pulong Duterte concluded on his post.