MANILA, Philippines — Deputy Speaker David Suarez believes it is unfair to label young lawmakers from the House of Representatives as “young goons” when they have been working hard—much more compared to other lawmakers who seem to have forgotten their duties.
Suarez, in an ambush interview early Wednesday morning after a grueling 15-hour quad committee hearing, was asked about Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte’s statement where he referred to the Young Guns as ‘young goons’.
The Young Guns are a bloc in the House composed of neophyte lawmakers from both the Minority and the Majority, who are seeking to deliver impactful legislation.
READ: Migs Nograles dares Davao’s Pulong Duterte to do new test
“First of all, you have to commend the legislative work the Young Guns have done for the 19th Congress. Kita mo naman, alas dos na ng umaga, hindi sila umaalis (Look: it’s already 2 in the morning and no one’s leaving, yet).
Very active sila pagdating sa committee hearings, pagdating sa committee deliberations (they’re very active when it comes to committee hearings and during committee deliberations. I hope I can say the same for certain congressmen who seem to forget that they’re congressmen and not show up for plenary work,” Suarez said.
Working tirelessly
“But the Young Guns have always been there, working tirelessly for their district representing the people that elected them into office. So I think that’s an unfair statement pagdating po sa kanila,” he added.
Duterte’s play on the word “Young Guns” came in a challenge he made to PBA party-list Rep. Margarita “Migs” Nograles about taking a hair follicle drug test—saying that he has already submitted himself.
Duterte and Nograles will both seek the congressional seat of Davao City’s first legislative district in the 2025 elections.
“I dare my opponent for the position of representative of Davao City’s First District, who is said to be a member of the so-called ‘young goons’ in Congress—or is it ‘guns’—to also undergo a hair follicle test,” Duterte said.
“This challenge is for the sake of the public and our constituents to guarantee that those who serve the people are clean and free from any involvement in illegal drugs,” he added.
In response to Duterte, Nograles said that the hair follicle drug test mentioned by the Davao solon is already outdated, as he had it done last August.
Nograles then dared Duterte to take another test on Wednesday, together, in Davao City. Both had themselves tested again, but in separate areas—Duterte in Mandaluyong City, and Nograles, in Davao.
Instead of a drug test, Suarez believes the best challenge was uttered by another Paolo—La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega — which is for Duterte’s sister, Vice President Sara Duterte, to testify under oath before Congress.
This was for the hearings of the House committee on good government and public accountability, which is probing issues in the budget utilization of Vice President Duterte’s offices. Previously, Duterte refrained from taking an oath, believing that she was not required to do so.
Take the oath challenge
“When it comes to challenges, the challenge that Pao (Ortega) stated is very good, you know, first of all, take the oath challenge. And face the (committee on) good government challenge. That’s the best challenge,” Suarez said.
“Because what we’re after here is the truth, what we’re after here is coming up with the proper legislation to strengthen the institutions of government, and to make sure that the people’s money is being spent, and spent properly,” he added.
The Nograleses and the Dutertes have been bitter rivals in the Davao local political scene. While the Dutertes have maintained their grip in the local elective positions, Rep. Nograles’ relatives dominated the congressional seats—her father is the late former Speaker Prospero Nograles, and her brother is former Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles.
However, in 2016, the two families set aside politics, with former speaker Nograles saying that he will support the Duterte patriarch, former Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
Duterte then ran for the presidency and won.
Karlo meanwhile was a key part of the Duterte cabinet, having served as cabinet secretary, presidential spokesperson, chairperson of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases which tackled the COVID-19 response, and eventually, as Civil Service Commission head.
Karlo was also one of the first to rally support behind former president Duterte in 2015, when the Davao mayor was undecided about running for the country’s highest position.
But for 2025, aside from Rep. Duterte and Rep. Nograles clashing, former president Duterte and Karlo would be facing off for Davao City’s mayoral race.