So astonished was ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio with the scale of Davao City 1st district Rep. Paolo Duterte's planned personal travel--17 country-territories in just two months--that he wondered whether or not the latter was a Miss Universe contestant.

"Ano ba siya, kinatawan ng distrito o Miss Universe? (What is he, a district representative or Miss Universe?)" was Tinio unfiltered reaction Wednesday, Dec. 10 to Duterte’s written request for travel clearance from the Office of the Speaker.

First reported as a leaked document, the House leadership has since confirmed Duterte's request for travel clearance covering the dates Dec. 15, 2025 to Feb. 20, 2026.

"This is to request for a travel clearance for my upcoming travel to Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, United States, Australia, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, and Singapore," read Pulong's letter to House Speaker Faustino "Bojie" Dy II.

That's a total of 17 country-territories in less than two month's time.

Tinio, who has no love lost for Duterte, didn't hold back on what he thought about the latter's request.

"Trabaho ng isang congressman ay katawanin ang kanyang distrito. Dapat mag-expect ang mamamayan ng mas mataas na standard ng serbisyo mula sa kanilang mga elected representatives," he said.

(The job of a congressman is to represent his district. Citizens should expect a higher standard of service from their elected representatives.)

"At ang pinaka-basic of course ay pumasok sa Kongreso para madala mo ang interest ng iyong constituents whether sa committee hearings or sa plenary. So yun yung unang punto (And the most basic, of course, is to attend Congress so you can bring the interests of your constituents, whether in committee hearings or in the plenary. That is the first point)," he said.

For the Makabayan solon's second point, he said the timing of the request was also questionable because since Duterte was recently invited by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to answer questions regarding public infrastructure projects in the first district of Davao.

Tinio says Duterte, a former deputy speaker, has yet to answer this issue "in any forum".

"At pangatlong punto, nabasa ko yung sulat, sabi niya aattend naman dwe siya ng mga sessions whether sa committee or plenary virtually. Well kung binasa niya talaga yung rules, kailangang itakda ng House leadership ang virtual sessions. Ibig sabihin, may pormal na proseso po at only in certain circumstances," he said.

(And third point, I read the letter, he said he would attend the sessions, whether committee or plenary, virtually. Well, if he really read the rules, the House leadership must set the virtual sessions. This means there is a formal process and only under certain circumstances.)

"Kapag may emergency circumstances lamang, nagkakaroon ng virtual sessions ng plenary or even ng committee hearings. Hindi po ibig sabihin eh manonood ka sa YouTube at member ka ng House, ay naka-attend ka na ng session. Hindi po ganun yun," noted Tinio.

(Only in emergency circumstances are virtual sessions of the plenary or even committee hearings held. It does not mean that if you watch on YouTube and you are a member of the House, you have already attended the session. That is not how it works.)

As such, Tinio pleaded to Speaker Dy not to grant Duterte a travel clearance.

"Nananawagan tayo sa Speaker na wag naman pahintulutan yan. Kasi ang tingin rin ng publiko, abuso ito eh. Pinapa-swelduhan ang mga elected representatives bilang public servants. Tapos hindi maganda kung pahihintulutan. May personal na lakad, ganun ang paalam eh. Personal na lakad," the party-list solon said.

(We are calling on the Speaker not to allow this. Because the public also sees this as abuse. Elected representatives are being paid as public servants. And it is not good if this is permitted. A personal errand, that was how he framed his request. A personal errand.)