House OKs Polong’s travel request to 17 countries

MANILA, Philippines — The leadership of the House of Representatives has granted another request of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s congressman-son, Paolo Duterte, to extend the original April 15 travel authority it gave him, by extending this up to May 10, covering 17 countries.

“As requested, travel clearance is hereby granted to Honorable Rep. Paolo Duterte in connection with his personal trip on March 20 to May 10,” read a portion of the single-page document that House secretary general Reginald Velasco signed last March 20.

The Davao City first district congressman initially joined his elder sister, Vice President Sara Duterte, last March 11, when their father was arrested and brought to the Netherlands, where the patriarch will be tried before the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity.

He is seeking re-election in their city – his third and last term as congressman – where the local campaign period is slated on March 28, which happens to be the 80th birthday of his father.

Duterte earlier assured Speaker Martin Romualdez the “expenditures incurred from this trip are from my personal funds alone.”

“This representation seeks the issuance of a revised travel clearance for my personal trip to the Netherlands and Japan from 12 March to 15 April.”

However, before the end of March, his plans had expanded significantly, which now covers 17 destinations across three continents extending until May 10.

Duterte filed another revised travel authority last March 17 for his “personal trip to London and China from March 17 to April 20,” where he will most likely be spending Holy Week, which starts on April 14 and ends on April 20.

Based on the travel clearance, Duterte will go to the following destinations from March 20 to May 10: Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, the United States, Australia, the UK, Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium, Italy and Singapore.