Davao City, Philippines — Davao City Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte has rejected the Independent Commission for Infrastructure’s (ICI) request for him to appear in its investigation into alleged irregularities in flood control projects. In a Facebook post, Duterte shared excerpts of a letter he sent to the commission, saying the ICI “appears without power nor jurisdiction over me.” He also described the invitation as “vague and ambiguous,” noting the lack of particulars or details on the issues the commission wanted him to address. Duterte added that the Executive branch already has access to all necessary documents and information through agencies such as the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Department of Budget and Management. “Malacañang need not look to Congress for matters involving projects under the Executive’s supervision,” he said. His latest statement came a day after he publicly said he was open to facing the commission’s inquiry. “First of all, I welcome the investigation. We are not hiding from anything, we are not running from anything, and we are not afraid of anything,” he said, adding that an investigation would help determine the real source of the problem and who actually benefited from the alleged anomalies. “To finally end the recurring narrative that Duterte is to blame wherever the anomaly is,” he added.
