DAVAO City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte has revised his request for travel authority, reducing it from an initial proposal covering up to 17 countries to only the Netherlands and Australia, a House of Representatives official said Wednesday.
Office of the Secretary General Executive Director Jose Marmoi Salonga said the House had earlier asked Duterte to submit additional details and a revised request, as the original travel period overlapped with session days when the 20th Congress resumes on January 26, 2026.
“The House of Representatives confirms receipt of the request for travel clearance from Representative Duterte. The initial request dated December 1, 2025 sought approval for travel from December 15, 2025 to February 20, 2026, covering 17 foreign destinations,” Salonga said.
He added that Duterte later submitted a revised request dated December 15, seeking clearance to travel from January 3 to January 30, 2026, limited to the Netherlands and Australia.
According to Salonga, the stated purposes of the trip include visiting former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is detained in The Hague, and visiting the congressman’s daughter who is studying in Australia. Duterte also indicated that all travel expenses would be shouldered using personal funds.
“The revised request is currently under evaluation in accordance with House rules and administrative procedures, taking into account institutional requirements and session schedules,” Salonga said.
Duterte’s original travel request drew public attention earlier this month due to the number of countries listed and the overlap with legislative duties.
