MANILA — Under growing political scrutiny over his more than two-month absence from public office, Davao City First District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte on Thursday rejected accusations that he is embarking on a lavish “world tour,” insisting that the 17-country list in his travel request merely reflects required stopover options, not actual destinations.
Duterte, who has asked the House of Representatives to authorize his personal travel from December 15, 2025 to February 20, 2026, has drawn criticism for the length and breadth of his planned time abroad. His travel authority listed Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, and Singapore.
The lawmaker stressed, however, that critics were misrepresenting a routine bureaucratic requirement.
“My attention has been drawn to online claims saying that I supposedly went on a ‘world tour.’ This is exactly what people do when they have no credibility. They fabricate stories about others,” Duterte said in Bisaya.
He explained that government protocol requires travel clearances to include all possible transit points in case airlines reroute flights or change itineraries — a practice he said he has consistently observed.
“This is exactly what I used to do before every time I visited my father in the Netherlands — it’s just standard procedure. This isn’t luxury, this isn’t a gimmick — it’s purely compliance. But of course, critics prefer drama over facts,” he said.
To support his claim, Duterte released copies of previous travel authorities issued on May 28, August 4, September 10, and October 3, which similarly contained multiple countries even for private trips.
The Davao lawmaker also took a swipe at his political detractors, saying they were using the issue to distract from allegations hounding their own camps.
“I won’t be distracted by their political noise. And to be honest — Dabawenyos, don’t let yourselves be fooled by the opposition… they’re CORNY because they can’t defend their flood control and DSWD corruption issues,” Duterte said.
Still, the extended absence has raised concerns within Congress. ACT Teachers party-list Representative Antonio Tinio questioned how Duterte could maintain accountability to his constituents while being away for more than two months.
Even Malacañang weighed in, with Palace Press Officer Claire Castro stressing the need for transparency and responsibility among public officials.
“Kahit hindi siya official travel, kasi lahat ng public servant, dapat nagsisilbi sa bayan,” Castro said.
“Kung magbabakasyon ng mahigit dalawang buwan, hindi natin alam kung papaano niya i-explain ito sa kanyang constituents,” she added./PN
