DAVAO CITY – Davao City first district Rep. Paolo Duterte said on Wednesday, Jan. 14, that his district has been without a budget from the national government since 2022.

In an interview with Alvin & Tourism at The Hague in the Netherlands, Duterte said the lack of funding does not impact his ability to serve the people.

Duterte said that the situation is beyond his control and added that Davaoeños would not go hungry and perish even without support from the national government.

He stated that the first district can continue to operate despite the absence of national funding and suggested that the situation could be viewed as an opportunity to remain independent and resilient.

“What else can we do? Should we accept it—like what someone told me that he will give me P5 billion in cash, as long as 40 percent goes to that contemptible person (tambaloslos)?” Duterte said.

The lawmaker, however, did not disclose the names and provided details regarding the alleged offer. He said the opposition complicated the budget issue by twisting the facts and expecting others to follow them.

A report said Duterte and three allied lawmakers had no allocable funds in the 2025 budget.

Reps. Sandro Marcos and Ferdinand Martin Romualdez received the most significant allocations from the 2023 to 2025 budget, totaling P1.2 trillion.

Former Department of Public Works and Highways officials stated that allocables serve as ceiling budgets for engineering offices and are included in the National Expenditure Program.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed the P6.793-trillion 2026 national budget on Jan. 5, with around P400 billion allocated yearly, including P100 billion under the DPWH budget for 2026.

In 2024, Duterte said around P2 billion was removed from the budget for the city’s first district, leaving a remaining P500 million. He added that the cut did not affect him and was linked to his opposition to Charter change.