DAVAO CITY – Presidential son and deputy mayor of Davao City, Paolo Duterte, has resigned Monday following a scandal that also dragged his father, Rodrigo Duterte, into drug smuggling allegations by the political opposition, and a recent spat with his teenage daughter on social media.
Duterte shocked the City Council by his resignation announcement and said he is taking full responsibility for all that has happened to him. Politicians opposed to the President’s tough rule, accused him of covering up for his son’s alleged involvement in the smuggling of crystal meth into the country, an accusation the young deputy mayor strongly denied.
Authorities had cleared the young Duterte in all accusations hurled against him by the opposition led by Senator Antonio Trillanes, a rabid anti-Duterte advocate and ferocious critic of both father and son.
In an emotional speech before the council members in Davao, Duterte said his parents always reminded him of the importance of “delicadeza.”
“When I was growing up, my parents never failed to remind me of the value of the time-honored principle of delicadeza. And this is one of the instances of my life that I need to protect my honor and that of my children. I look forward to the day that I will be able to serve kind-heartedly again,” he said.
“There are recent and unfortunate events in my life that are closely tied to my failed first marriage. These, among others, include the maligning of my reputation in the recent name-dropping incident in the Bureau of Customs smuggling case and the very public squabble with my daughter (Isabelle from first wife Lovely Sangkola).”
“The other person in this failed relationship is incorrigible and cannot be controlled and I take responsibility for all that has happened as a result of a wrong decision to marry at a very young age,” he added.
In his Facebook page, Duterte also thanked all those who stood behind and supported him and then deleted his social media account. There was no immediate reaction from his father. Council member Mabel Acosta is expected to take over Duterte’s post. (Mindanao Examiner)
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