DAVAO City 1st District Rep. Paolo Z. Duterte has formally declined the Independent Commission for Infrastructure’s (ICI) invitation to appear in its probe on alleged irregularities in flood-control projects in his district, calling the commission “powerless” over Congress members and accusing it of political harassment.
In a strongly worded letter to ICI Chair Andres B. Reyes Jr., Duterte cited the constitutional separation of powers, emphasizing that the commission, established under Executive Order No. 94, is part of the Executive branch and therefore cannot compel a sitting legislator to testify.
“The ICI appears without power nor jurisdiction over me,” Duterte wrote, adding that the invitation was “vague and ambiguous” and lacked any factual or legal basis.
He also stressed that the Executive branch already has access to relevant documents from agencies, including the DPWH, DBM, DOJ, DENR, DICT, and DTI, making any congressional involvement unnecessary.
Duterte highlighted that he was not part of the House Appropriations Committee between 2019 and 2022, the period under scrutiny, and therefore considered himself “incompetent to answer” the commission’s questions.
He escalated his criticism by urging the ICI to investigate President Marcos Jr., his family, and former Speaker Martin Romualdez instead, citing allegations made by former congressman Elizalde Co linking them to flood-control and infrastructure projects in Regions I and VIII from 2022 to 2025.
Duterte described the claims as “shocking” and impossible to ignore.
The congressman accused the Marcos administration of using the ICI as a political tool to target him and Vice President Sara Duterte, calling it “highly unacceptable and deplorable.”
He concluded that the commission serves as “President Marcos Jr.’s tool for pure political propaganda,” aimed at weakening the Duterte family ahead of the 2028 elections.
The ICI has not yet responded to Duterte’s refusal.