MANILA, Philippines – Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte has slammed Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat over issues with her character and management style during the plenary budget deliberations at the House of Representatives.
Duterte, who made his manifestation while the deliberations on the National Housing Authority (NHA) budget was suspended, said he initially wanted to speak out during the discussions about the DOT budget last Tuesday.
“Last Tuesday, September 17, I had planned on interpolating our esteemed colleague who is sponsoring the budget of the Department of Tourism to seek clarification on certain issues and concerns regarding what is happening now in that department,” Duterte said.
“It has come to my attention that there have been several complaints on the management style of Secretary Romulo Puyat, in relation to the approval of contracts and projects in her department,” he added.
He was advised, however, by no less than Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, to sit down and discuss the matter directly with Puyat. But instead of fixing the mess, Duterte said it grew bigger.
“However, as part of the pre-plenary conference between agencies of the executive department and the House, our Honorable Speaker deemed it prudent that these issues be threshed out directly with Secretary Romulo Puyat, hence, following the established procedure in the House, I sat down with the Speaker and Secretary Romulo Puyat to discuss my concerns regarding her department,” he explained.
“After I had discussed my concerns with Secretary Puyat — napupuyat na ako sa babae na ‘to — in the presence of our Speaker, I thought that was the last of it. Ang buong akala ko ay maganda ang ikakabunga ng aming pag-uusap, ‘yon pala ay mauuwi lang sa sumbungan at mga maling paratang laban sa akin, at alam niyo na kung kanino,” he said.
Duterte did not specify which contracts and projects were anomalous. But according to him, he owes to the people of Davao City to reveal Puyat’s character.
“I wanted to clarify these issues because I believe it is my right and sworn duty as a member of this esteemed chamber to ask questions and thus, interpellate any fellow legislator on the floor,” Duterte said. “I would be remiss of my duty […] if I turn a deaf ear to the complaints and grievances that have reached my office.”
“Ako po ay naniniwala na dapat ipahatid natin sa lahat ang mga pangyayaring ito nang sa gayon ay malaman ng ating mga kababayan ang tunay niyang karakter at pag-uugali,” he added.
Puyat was appointed by Duterte’s father, President Rodrigo Duterte, to succeed then DOT Secretary Wanda Tulfo Teo./ac
READ: ‘I thought the President was just joking me’
READ: New DOT secretary: Let’s just do our jobs