PRRD to alleged lovers: Swipe left

National

THIRTEEN girlfriends, one credit card warning.

From his detention cell in The Hague, former President Rodrigo Duterte has reportedly told the women linked to him romantically to move on, preferably to someone with deeper pockets.

Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte shared the message in an interview posted by former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque. “To all his girlfriends – I know there are 13 girlfriends in Davao – (former president Duterte said) look for another (boyfriend) with plenty of credit cards. That’s what he said,” he stated.

The congressman added that his father also asked whether Vice President Sara Duterte still visits Davao City and engages with its residents. He assured him that she continues to accept invitations and remain active in the city.

The former president’s personal life has come under renewed public attention after his daughter with Honeylet Avanceña, Veronica, spoke out on social media. She called out a woman for allegedly pretending to be Duterte’s romantic partner in an attempt to visit him at the Scheveningen prison in the Netherlands. Veronica did not name the woman but warned others about the false claim.

Davao City Vice Mayor Sebastian Duterte acknowledged the presence of multiple women in his father’s life, writing in a social media post that each had played a role. “All of these fine ladies touched the life and heart of my father. No one is above or below the other, including my mother (Elizabeth Zimmerman),” he wrote.

Rep. Duterte also provided a brief update on his father’s condition, describing him as physically thin but mentally sound.

Palace, VP Duterte clash over travel transparency

As the Duterte family navigates personal matters, a separate political dispute continues between Vice President Sara Duterte and Malacañang, this time over her undisclosed trips abroad.

Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro raised concerns about the Vice President’s lack of transparency and questioned whether her travels were for official or personal purposes. “If there is no report, then perhaps nothing was accomplished,” she said in a Philstar report. Earlier, Castro had asked the Vice President to clarify the nature of the trips and detail any benefits gained. Duterte responded by calling her critics “stupid,” dismissing the need to explain further.

The Vice President has maintained that she is not obligated to report on private travel. However, Castro countered that if Duterte claimed she was working during those trips, she was acting in an official capacity and should be accountable. She added that public officials cannot use insults to cover a lack of understanding of laws and ethical standards.