Paolo Duterte to show tattoo ‘when the right time comes’
Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte (Photo from RTV Malacañang)
DAVAO CITY – Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte on Tuesday said he was willing to bare his tattoo “when the right time comes.”
“But not now,” he said.
Speaking to reporters here after attending the state of the city address of his sister and Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, Paolo said his lawyer was correct in saying that giving in to the demand of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV during the Senate hearing on the smuggling issue would make him look foolish.
During the Senate hearing, Trillanes said that Paolo had a dragon tattoo and a code that the US Drug Enforcement Agency can decode.
He also said that the tattoo was proof that Paolo was a member of the Chinese crime syndicate Triad.
But the presidential son had replied: “No way.”
“When the time comes that he fell to the ground, when his wings were broken because he flew so high, I will show it,” Paolo said.
He said he even asked his brother, Sebastian, to tell the artist who drew his tattoo “not to post my tattoo.” Sebastian, also known as Baste, was friends with the tattoo artist, he said.
“Of course, you annoy your enemies until they break their brains, especially the yellow types and also those on social media, who are like fools when they (post). Let them eat the dragon. Not now,” Paolo added.
Sources, who claimed to have seen Paolo’s tattoo, earlier said he really did not have a dragon tattoo.
What he had, the sources said, was an image of Chinese philosopher and religious Taoism deity Lao Tzu or Laozi—the reputed author of “Tao Te Ching,” a set of fundamental philosophical texts for Taoism.
One of the sources, who declined to be identified, said Paolo’s tattoo, aside from Lao Tzu’s colored image, had these words written in Chinese: “To stand tall between heaven and earth and live without shame or regret.”
The line was attributed to the late Eastern Han dynasty general, Guan Yu.
Paolo also responded to criticisms that he wore expensive watches.
A photo of him wearing what looked like an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph was being circulated on social media by anti-Duterte netizens, including the pro-Liberal Party Facebook page, “Oras na, Roxas na.”
That particular model of an Audemars Piguet allegedly sells for $38,500 or about P1.92 million.
The post being shared also showed an image of how much Paolo made as public official since 2007.
In response, Paolo readily took his watch off on Tuesday and placed it on the table.
“Pick it up and sell it. If it fetches P1.9 million, you divide the money among yourselves but if nobody would buy it, return it to me,” he told reporters.
He then brought out a similar watch from his pocket.
“I have one more here,” Paolo added.
He then went on to say that the watch was actually an imitation but he did not buy it.
“It was given to me as a gift,” Paolo added.
He also scoffed at critics, who criticized his daughter Isabelle for wearing a Gucci Ace embroidered sneakers, saying while she could not possibly afford it, somebody might have given it to her.
A Gucci Ace sells for about $600.
Isabelle, Paolo’s daughter with his ex-wife Lovelie Sangkula, was an aspiring actress under talent manager, Anabelle Rama.
“Before, I am just the punching bag,” an emotional Paolo said.
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