Davao City 1st district Rep. Paolo Duterte (Facebook)

Seventeen countries in 51 days.

That just about covers Davao City 1st district Rep. Paolo Duterte's hectic schedule in the next few weeks, even as his father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, remains incarcerated for crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Netherlands.

A travel clearance issued by the House of Representatives, dated March 20, 2025, revealed that Rep. Duterte had been granted permission to travel to at least 17 countries from March 20 to May 10, 2025.

The clearance was signed by House Secretary General Reginald Velasco.

The 17 countries include the United States (US), China, Japan, the United Kingdom (UK), and several European and Southeast Asian nations. His itinerary spans Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, the US, Australia, the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, and Singapore.

Initially, Duterte requested a much shorter travel period and a more limited itinerary. 

On March 11, he wrote to House Speaker Martin Romualdez requesting travel clearance for a personal trip to the Netherlands and Japan from March 12 to April 15, 2025. This was granted by the House leadership.

March 11 was the same day that elements of the International Police (Interpol) arrested the elder Duterte in Manila. He was flown to the ICC before the day was over.

A few days later, on March 17, Rep. Duterte submitted a revised request, this time asking for clearance to travel to London and China from March 17 to April 20.

By March 20, his plans had expanded significantly—now covering 17 destinations across three continents, as well extending the time period until May 10.

Rep. Duterte is also seeking re-election as the representative of Davao City’s 1st district in the 2025 mid-term elections. Election day is on May 12, meaning he will have spent practically the entire campaign period abroad when he returns home.

The final travel clearance still lists the trip as a “personal” one, and the former presidential son stated in his letters that the expenditures for the trip would be covered by his personal funds.

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Rep. Duterte’s travel comes at a time of intense scrutiny on his family. 

His father, who served in Malacañang from 2016 to 2022, was detained by the United Nations (UN)-backed court in connection with the deaths of thousands of suspected drug offenders during his term. Meanwhile, his sister, Vice President Sara Duterte, is facing an impeachment complaint in Congress.

A source said that as of this posting, the congressman is in Hong Kong, a Chinese territory.