Davao City First District Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte on Tuesday accused political leaders of shielding allies and relatives from scrutiny.
Duterte claimed public attention is being diverted by what he described as a “half-baked” impeachment effort while more serious corruption allegations go uninvestigated.
In a statement, Duterte questioned why figures he identified as “Tambaloslos” and “Bangag Jr.” have remained “untouchable,” claiming that probes lose momentum once their names surface.
He alleged a pattern of selective accountability that protects an “inner circle” at the expense of public transparency.
Duterte cited Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearings in which, he said, two witnesses testified that businessman Curlee Discaya admitted to being the contractor of a Forbes Park mansion and that the House Speaker owned the property.
According to Duterte, the Senate did not pursue further verification after Discaya denied the claim, opting not to issue subpoenas or call officers of the company listed as the property’s owner.
He also pointed to alleged corruption in flood control projects involving congressional allies, asserting that “billions of pesos” have disappeared while affected communities continue to experience flooding.
Duterte said individuals he named have been repeatedly linked to the projects but remain outside the scope of serious investigation.
“This is no longer coincidence. This is a pattern,” Duterte said.
He also alleging that impeachment proceedings are being used to create political “noise” and divert attention from large-scale corruption.
“If accountability ends where family and allies begin, then what we are witnessing is not democracy it is power shielding itself from scrutiny,” he added.
Duterte warned that voters would remember those who failed to act, invoking the 2028 elections and saying public judgment would ultimately prevail.
“The people are not blind. They know when they are being played. And they will remember who looked away. Hukman lang gihapon mo sa katawhan karong 2028,” he said.
