DAVAO CITY – Davao City First District Rep. Paolo Duterte asked Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla on Tuesday, August 25, to show records supporting his claim that Davao City was the epicenter of flood control corruption before the Marcos administration.

In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Duterte said the Ombudsman should have official records from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) before making what he described as serious allegations against Davao City.

"When you declare that Davao City is the 'epicenter' of flood control corruption during former President Rodrigo Duterte's administration, perhaps you could first check at DPWH's own records," Duterte said.

The Davao lawmaker said DPWH-11 furnished him with a list of completed projects in Davao City's First Congressional District covering 2020 to 2022 after he assumed office as congressman in 2019.

He stressed that he was willing to provide Remulla with a copy of the document if the Ombudsman did not have one. "So we can both look at the same lists before making serious accusations," he added.

Duterte also called for a broader investigation into the period before he became a congressman, noting that former Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles had represented the city's First District before being appointed Cabinet Secretary.

"If we are serious about finding the truth, no year, name, party, or administration should be singled out," Duterte said. "If there is an anomaly, investigate it. If there is evidence, release it. But do not use a political narrative as a shortcut to conclude."

Remulla said during the House budget deliberations on Tuesday that Davao City could be considered the "epicenter" of flood control corruption before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s administration.

He said the evidence was still under review as the investigation into alleged irregularities in flood-control projects continues. He added that investigators are looking into the "Davao ecosystem," where large sums of money allegedly went to the said projects.

Duterte said he continued to trust the Ombudsman as an institution tasked with protecting public funds, but urged Remulla to be cautious in making public statements while the investigation remains ongoing.

"The Ombudsman should be looking for the truth—not convenient villains," Duterte said, as he challenged Remulla to release complete records if the city was indeed the focus of the investigation, including all years, projects, and names involved.

Duterte also questioned the status of the investigation into the alleged trillion-peso flood-control corruption since 2023 and asked whether investigators had a list of completed infrastructure projects, as in the records provided by DPWH-11.

The congressman further pointed to ongoing flooding in several parts of Luzon, saying the situation appeared more severe than the claimed "flood control epicenter" label applied to Davao City.