Paolo Duterte running for Davao City congressman
The President’s son seeking the seat to be vacated by Karlo Alexei Nograles
President Rodrigo Duterte’s eldest son, Paolo Duterte, filed on Friday, October 12, his certificate of candidacy (COC)
for congressman of Davao City’s 1st district, the seat to be vacated by Karlo Alexei Nograles.
The 43-year-old Paolo, also known as “Pulong,” went to the Commission on Elections office here past noon, accompanied
his sister, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio and her husband Manases Carpio.
As his COC received, Paolo quipped, “Gosh, I’m nervous.”
He even cracked a joke on the large number of reporters that covered his filing: “If something
disappears here, blame the media.”
He was apparently referring to the defense of opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV that President
Duterte cannot void his amnesty
because he filed for it, as witnessed by the media in 2010. Paolo filed two libel complaints against Trillanes,
who had accused him of corruption.
Sara, meanwhile, has yet to file her COC for any position, although she earlier said she would be running for reelection.
Family decision
It not immediately known who her running mate would, although Nograles’ name and that of her husband, Manases, had floated.
Paolo said he talked about his congressional offer with individuals from his family: “This settle upon by individuals from the family.”
While he still couldn’t seem to converse with his dad, he said the President “knows about my plans.”
He surrendered from his post as Davao City bad habit chairman in December 2017 out of “delicadeza,” refering to debates identified with his “flopped first marriage.”
In the wake of declaring his abdication, he said he intended to resign and go “back to cultivating.”
The President’s child had likewise connected to the supposed Davao Group that associated with the pirating of P6.4-billion worth of shabu from China.
He eagerly denied this and later cleared by the Office of the Ombudsman