Paolo Duterte’s resignation ‘accepted’ if not acted upon in 15 days by his father

Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte. Photo by City Information Office

The resignation letter of Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte will be considered accepted after 15 days if the President does not do anything about it, according to presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.

Roque on Wednesday said the younger Duterte needed to tender his resignation to the President in writing, as required by the Local Government Code (LGC).

The resignation could take effect even if the President does not expressly accept it, said Roque.

“Because after 15 working days, upon receipt of the resignation and the President does not do anything [about it], it is deemed accepted,” he said in a press briefing.

Paolo’s resignation letter had been mailed to the Office of the President, according to his sister, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, who defended her brother from accusations he decided to quit to shield himself from a possible investigation by the Ombudsman over his alleged drug ties.

Correct procedure

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Wednesday said Paolo followed the correct procedure in submitting his resignation letter to the President.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier told his eldest son, who resigned on Christmas Day, to “do what is right.”

Paolo said he was quitting out of “delicadeza.” He cited his verbal spat on social media with his daughter Isabelle, the failure of his marriage, and the allegations of his involvement in the smuggling of P6.4 billion worth of “shabu” (crystal meth) as his reasons for quitting.

In his letter, he said his parents taught him the value of delicadeza, and wanted to protect his and his children’s honor.

Paolo’s resignation was a first from a highly urbanized city like Davao, according to DILG officer in charge Catalino Cuy.

Based on the LGC, the resignation of an elective local official in a highly urbanized city or an independent component city is deemed effective upon acceptance by the President, who also approves resignations of governors and vice governors.

Sara’s support

In the case of municipal mayors and vice mayors as well as city mayors and vice mayors of component cities, the governor approves their resignation.

In Davao City, Mayor Sara contradicted opposition Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV’s assertion that her brother stepped down to prevent the Ombudsman from investigating him for his alleged link to drug smuggling.

“I don’t think the Ombudsman’s probe stops just because [Paolo] resigns. It doesn’t work that way,” she said.

Sara called Trillanes, “mema,” a Filipino slang for someone who talks cheap, and said she would “support all the way” her brother’s decision.

Paolo’s reasons

Paolo, she said, had long raised the idea of resigning after his name was dragged into shabu smuggling. But Paolo delayed his decision because he “did not want his constituents to feel that he was abandoning them.”

“But from then until Dec. 25, many incidents happened to his personal life that were linked to his previous relationship,” Sara said. —WITH A REPORT FROM FRINSTON LIM