Paolo Duterte to run for congressman of Davao City – Mayor Sara

DAVAO CITY — Former Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte will run for congressman in the city’s first district, according to his sister and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

Mayor Duterte made the announcement on Monday but did not provide other details about her brother’s political plans in the 2019 midterm elections.

Last August, Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go floated the idea of Paolo running for congressman, saying the President’s son was highly qualified because of his experience as vice mayor.

Paolo resigned as vice mayor on Dec. 25 last year following a spat on social media with his daughter Isabelle and after his name was dragged in a shipment of P6.4 billion worth of “shabu” (crystal meth) that slipped past the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, citing a BOC fixer’s testimony, accused Paolo and his brother-in-law, Manases Carpio, of helping smugglers bring in the shabu, which was later found in a Valenzuela City warehouse.

Paolo and Carpio have since sued Trillanes for libel in a court in this city. —Mart Sambalud