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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Biglang dinaga?': Antonio Tinio chides Paolo Duterte for declining ICI invite

'Biglang dinaga?': Antonio Tinio chides Paolo Duterte for declining ICI invite

Published Dec 4, 2025 01:52 pm

At A Glance

  • Why did you suddenly chicken out? This was House Deputy Minority Leader ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio's question to Davao City 1st district Rep. Paolo Duterte on Thursday, Dec. 4 after the latter declined the invitation of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).
Davao City 1st district Rep. Paolo Duterte (left), ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio (Facebook)
Davao City 1st district Rep. Paolo Duterte (left), ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio (Facebook)


Why did you suddenly chicken out?
This was House Deputy Minority Leader ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio's question to Davao City 1st district Rep. Paolo Duterte on Thursday, Dec. 4 after the latter declined the invitation of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).
"Bakit biglang dinaga si Polong? Anyare sa 'I welcome the investigation' at 'wala tayong tinatago, wala tayong kinakatakutan?' Wala ka lang palang sisiputan," Tinio, who may or may not have purposely misspelled Duterte's nickname, said in a statement.
(Why did Polong suddenly chicken out? What happened to “I welcome the investigation” and “we have nothing to hide, nothing to fear”? Turns out you just had nowhere to go.)
"Malakas ang loob niyang pumustura na walang anomalya sa kanyang distrito pero ngayong inanyayahan siya sa aktwal na imbestigasyon, nagtatago siya sa wala sa lugar na pribilehiyo bilang kongresista. He was not 'summoned'," the Makabayan solon further said.
(He was bold enough to posture that there was no anomaly in his district, but now that he has been invited to an actual investigation, he hides behind an inappropriate privilege as a congressman. He was not “summoned".)
The ICI is the Palace-created body that has been acting as the special investigator of sorts in the flood control projects corruption scandal.
"Hindi sasapat ang mga general denial. Humarap siya at sumagot sa mga tanong hinggil sa naging paggastos ng pondo ng bayan sa kanyang distrito (General denials will not suffice. He must face and answer questions regarding the spending of public funds in his district)," Tinio said regarding the alleged infrastructure irregularities in Duterte’s district.
Earlier Thursday, Duterte released a statement wherein he announced that he wasn't going to appear in the ICI's inquiry on these alleged irregularities in Davao's 1st district.

Pulong calls ICI a propaganda tool
In a strongly-worded letter addressed to ICI Chairman Andres Reyes Jr., Duterte said the commission — created under Executive Order (EO) No. 94 — was part of the executive branch and therefore cannot summon or compel a sitting member of the House of Representatives.
“The ICI appears without power nor (sic) jurisdiction over me,” Duterte wrote as he cited the constitutional doctrine of separation of powers.
"Pulong" further accused the commission of issuing a “vague and ambiguous” invitation lacking factual and legal basis. “Absent any particulars or details of matters in the possession of ICI, it is part of due process, fairness and respect,” he noted.
Duterte concluded his letter by calling the ICI “President Marcos Jr.’s tool for pure political propaganda", that was intended to weaken the Duterte family ahead of the 2028 national and local elections.
“It is a continuing political propaganda and harassment against our family,” the former deputy speaker said.
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