Tinio on Pulong’s 16-country itinerary: Are you ‘Miss U’?
Is he a lawmaker or a jet-setting beauty queen?
This was ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio’s reaction to Davao City Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte’s new request for travel clearance to visit 16 countries from Dec. 15, 2025 to Feb. 20, 2026—or a total of 67 days.
“What is his title? Is he a representative of his district or a Miss Universe?” Tinio said in Filipino in an interview on Wednesday.
“The job of a congressman is to represent his district; the people should expect a higher standard of service from their elected representatives. The most basic thing, of course, is to be present in Congress so that you can bring the interest of your constituents, whether in the committee hearings or at the plenary,” he added.
In Malacañang, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Duterte should report his upcoming trips to his constituents, even though he has stated that they are personal and will be funded out of his own pocket.
“His constituents probably also need to know that he is in another country and on vacation for more than two months […] even if it’s not official travel, since public servants are supposed to serve the country,” Castro said in a press briefing.
Personal trips
Duterte earlier on Tuesday confirmed he had made a travel request to Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III, but said it was a confidential matter leaked to the media.
In his request letter, Duterte listed the following territories and countries that he plans to visit: Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region of China), China, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, United States, Australia, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium, Italy and Singapore.
The Davao congressman also requested that he be allowed to attend House sessions and hearings online while he is overseas.
“Rest assured that the expenses that will be incurred from this trip are from my personal funds alone. In addition, this is also to seek your kind indulgence in allowing this Representation to attend the scheduled plenary sessions and meetings virtually from the aforementioned dates. It is with esteemed appreciation if this will merit your preferential action and approval,” Duterte wrote.
It was not the first time Duterte requested permission to go to those countries. The House leadership approved his request to travel to the same destinations, plus Northern Ireland, in March.
Duterte did not explain why he needed to go to all these countries, but his previous trips was made after his father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, was arrested in Manila and handed over to International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague in The Netherlands.
‘Dubious’ timing
Tinio questioned the timing of Duterte’s travel request, noting it was after he declined the invitation to appear before the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).
“The timing of this request is dubious because it happened days after he was invited by the ICI to answer some questions regarding public infrastructure projects in the first district of Davao. [He hasn’t answered] this in whatever available forum,” the Makabayan solon said.
Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon also expressed concern over Duterte’s travels, saying that while it is within the Davao lawmaker’s rights, he should also make himself available to bodies investigating anomalous flood control projects.
Last November, Tinio and Ridon made separate allegations about incomplete and “ghost” projects in Davao City, particularly in Duterte’s district.
“While Rep. Paolo Duterte has the right to request travel clearances for foreign trips exceeding two months, he should make himself available to investigative bodies such as the Office of the Ombudsman for any proceedings on infrastructure and flood-control projects in his district,” Ridon said.
