[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” av-desktop-hide=” av-medium-hide=” av-small-hide=” av-mini-hide=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=”]
[/av_textblock]
[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’‘Just do what’s right,’ President tells Pulong ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY PRINCE GOLEZ
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte advised son Paolo to “just do what’s right” before the latter resigned as vice mayor of Davao City.
After he was tagged to the smuggling of P6.4 billion worth of shabu from China and his recent heated exchange with daughter Isabelle on social media, Paolo Duterte announced on Monday that he was stepping down effective that day out of the “simple sense of delicadeza.”
“Sabi ko sa kanya, ‘Ikaw. You…you are in a position to do what is right. Kung ano lang ang tama sa iyo, gawin mo,’” President Duterte said.
“But nagtanong siya kagabi. Doon kami nagkita-kita kami doon sa…iyong magkapatid, si mayor (Sara Duterte-Carpio), pati siya. Habang naghihintay kami ng balita, tinanong niya ako,” he said.
President Duterte went to Davao City to visit the families of the victims of a fire that hit the NCCC Mall on Saturday.
The chief executive clarified that he did not suggest that his son, nicknamed “Pulong,” resign.
“Sabi ko, ‘Ikaw, you…’ Siguro iyong sa anak niya, iyong pictorial at iyong – baka nasaktan din siya noong iyong mga insinuation about iyong sa…napuno na siguro. Pinatawag sila sa Congress for nothing. Well, about the only thing that…was this name, his name which appeared in a – and he considered it most unfair to…sa kanya,” said the President.
Paolo Duterte was among those who were called to a Senate hearing into the smuggling of shabu from China in September. He was tagged to the “Davao Group” that allegedly facilitated the drug importation.
Meanwhile, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV did not seem to take Paolo Duterte’s resignation seriously, saying it was “pure BS.”
“Delicadeza, seriously? Pinatulan nga niya iyong anak niya publicly sa Facebook, tapos delicadeza?” the senator, one of those who quizzed Paolo Duterte during the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, said in a statement.
“Besides, he has already been cleared months ago by (Sen. Richard) Gordon’s committee de abswelto,” Trillanes said.
Paolo Duterte was “probably just preempting the numerous investigations against him by the Ombudsman,” said Trillanes.
Trillanes claimed that Paolo Duterte quit his post “to focus on managing his multibillion-peso businesses.”
Senators Vicente Sotto III and JV Ejercito admired Paolo Duterte for deciding to resign.
“He has his personal reasons but then it shows that Pulong respects delicadeza and he has honor to protect. It also proves he is not the kapit-tuko type. He deserves our respect,” Sotto said.
Ejercito said the younger Duterte made a “supreme sacrifice” to spare his father from further controversies. “It takes guts and courage to make that ultimate sacrifice,” he said./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
