Duterte tells 13 girlfriends: Get new boyfriend

MANILA, Philippines — Exactly how many “girlfriends” does detained former president Rodrigo Duterte really have?

According to his son, Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, the ex-leader has a message for all the women in his life.

“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,” Congressman Duterte said in an interview in The Hague posted by former presidential spokesman and now fugitive Harry Roque on his Facebook page.

Veronica, Duterte’s daughter with Honeylet Avanceña, recently called out on social media a woman allegedly pretending to be his romantic partner in order to gain access to him in Prison Scheveningen in The Hague. Veronica did not name the woman.

“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). It is what it is,” Davao City Vice Mayor Sebastian Duterte said in a social media post.

Meanwhile, Representative Duterte said the former president asked if Vice President Sara Duterte visits Davao City and attends to its needs.

“I told him that Inday (Sara) goes to Davao. She accepts invitations, faces the people – that’s what he asked. He did not ask about the case of Inday,” he added.

The reelected lawmaker said that his father is too thin but has sound thinking.

Word war continues

Meanwhile, the verbal tussle between the Palace and the Vice President over the latter’s “personal trips” overseas continues, with Malacañang accusing her of having inadequate knowledge of laws and ethical standards for public servants.

“If there is no report, then perhaps nothing was accomplished,” Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said yesterday, pertaining to the Vice President’s evasiveness about her foreign trips.

Last week, Castro asked whether Duterte’s trips were personal, or for the country. Duterte responded by calling her detractors “stupid.”

Castro then challenged Duterte to report to the nation the gains made during her official trips, to which the Vice President responded: “That is my example of how stupid they are.”

Duterte maintained that she has no obligation to report about her personal trip.

“The lack of knowledge on laws, on ethical standards cannot be concealed by cursing or by insulting. It’s simple. Was it a vacation or work? She mentioned she was working and was not on a holiday. If she is working, she carries her position, the flag of the Philippines and she has official functions,” Castro said. — Alexis Romero