Tinio backs dolomite probe; Pulong Duterte claims Makabayan serves admin

ACT Teachers Party-list Representative Antonio Tinio —FILE PHOTO FROM THE PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER

MANILA, Philippines — ACT Teachers Party-list Representative Antonio Tinio has thrown his support for the congressional probe on the controversial Manila Bay Dolomite Beach project, but Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte has accused the lawmaker of being subservient to the current administration.

Tinio, in an ambush interview on Monday at the Batasang Pambansa complex, said that he sees nothing wrong with the House of Representatives’ committee on public accounts’ looming probe on the dolomite beach issue, noting that the pursuit of accountability should reach the top—including former President Rodrigo Duterte, whose administration spearheaded the project.

Rep. Duterte is the eldest son of the former president.

READ: House probe into dolomite beach project slated this month

“Well, I think it’s positive and it’s about time that we reveal that this project was truly useless, it was started by the past administration, in the middle of the pandemic, using over P600 million, but it is not even a true rehabilitation of Manila Bay,” Tinio said.

“So, this should really be investigated, again, for us to see how much public funds were wasted and the extent of the corruption involved here, and we have to hold everyone involved accountable, up to the (former) president himself, because it was a project of the previous leader,” he added.

The younger Duterte, however, noted that it seems Tinio is quick to call for accountability, but they were allegedly silent when funds were stolen from the country.

“You are quick to look for who should be held accountable now, but when the country was being robbed of its funds, you were silent. When it was billions that we were talking about, where are you, people who are quick to judge? When the people are mad about the brazen robbery revealed this year, it seemed that you were quick to forget,” Rep. Duterte said.

Davao City Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte

“Actually, the more pressing question should be: has anyone been held accountable for the billions lost during the time of your bosses? None, right? Do not make yourselves appear like champions of transparency if you are only politicking. If your goal of ‘accountability’ is true, start with yourself—and those whom you serve who are tainted with corruption.”

The terms “bangag” (stupid or stoned) and “tambaloslos” (Visayan mythical creature) have been used by Duterte supporters to describe President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, respectively.

Rep. Duterte also defended his father, saying that it was only during his father’s time that Manila Bay was cleaned.

“How many decades has it been, and there were no officials from the government who gave the right attention to the problems of Manila Bay, and we were accustomed to the dirt and garbage floating on it. Now, a President from Mindanao did something so that Manila Bay could be useful, and many were happy that finally, Manila Bay is clean,” he said.

“But after a few years, and because of politics, you are forcefully trying to make an issue over Manila Bay and are dragging President Duterte to destroy him. There is no problem with accountability from those who are at fault, and like you said FPRRD is part of it because it was his project. But why are you silent on seeking accountability from those who signed the most corrupt budget from 2023-2025?” he asked.

A quick search on social media and search engines would show that Makabayan has called out the government, and even both the House and the Senate, over issues involving the 2025 budget—and even voted against the budget bills.

After claims of possible issues in the then-proposed 2025 General Appropriations Bill (GAB), the former roster of Makabayan—former ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro, former Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas, and former Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel—said that the bicameral conference committee should convene again to address alleged allocation issues.

READ: Makabayan wants bicam to convene again to address budget issues 

Progressive group Bayan Muna, a part of Makabayan, has also consistently questioned the need to certify budget bills as urgent, believing such executive powers are reserved for calamities and emergencies.

In December 2024, Makabayan—particularly Castro and Tinio—said that the 2025 budget failed to give priority to the education sector, contradicting provisions in the 1987 Constitution.

Under Section 5, paragraph 5 of the Constitution’s Article XIV, the government is required to “assign the highest budgetary priority to education”.

Castro and Tinio said Marcos’ veto of P194 billion line items in the budget was just a “deceptive maneuver to create an illusion of constitutional compliance.”

READ: Education not prioritized in 2025 budget – Lacson, Makabayan bloc

Then, last January 23, 2025, Castro said that if Davao City 3rd District Rep. Isidro Ungab is correct—that there were blank items in the final version of the 2025 GAB—then constitutional issues may arise from it.

READ: Blanks in enrolled GAB, if proven, will be a constitutional issue–solon

The schedule on the dolomite beach probe was announced earlier by Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, who chairs the House committee on public accounts.

According to Ridon, the investigation will focus on whether the project was necessary, and check if the dolomite beach fits the Manila Bay Sustainable Development Master Plan and the Supreme Court (SC) writ of continuing mandamus on the Manila Bay rehabilitation.

“The House public accounts committee will begin proceedings on the Manila Bay Dolomite Beach Project in the week of November 17, 2025,” Ridon said.

“The first hearing will focus on the project’s necessity based on (a) the Manila Bay Sustainable Development Master Plan and (b) the Supreme Court’s Continuing Mandamus for the rehabilitation of Manila Bay,” he added. /cb