Even after he was already adopted by the National Unity Party (NUP), President Rodrigo Duterte’s son and Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte welcomed invitations from colleagues to become part of other political parties.

In a statement on Wednesday, the younger Duterte said that while he was honored to have been adopted by the NUP, he was willing to join other parties to better serve the people.

“To all other political groups out there, I am still up for adoption! If being adopted by most, if not all, political parties is to be of service to the people, then I am more than willing to join all of you,” he said.

Appointed deputy speaker for political affairs, Paolo cited invitation from colleagues from other parties that could help him fulfill his task of unifying all members of Congress.

“In unity there is strength. Let us show the Filipino people that we can all be united toward one common goal. This would be a first in Philippine politics, and it happened under the Duterte administration,” he said.

Paolo did not get a key position in the NUP as an adopted member, as the party’s leaders noted that they still have to review bylaws to consider his qualification.

He remains the president of Davao City-based Hugpong ng Tawong Lungsod, associated with the regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago headed by his sister and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.

The Davao lawmaker did not attend Tuesday’s general assembly and oath-taking ceremony for new members and officials of the emerging political bloc.

It was on the same day that speculations swirled about the looming move of members of Partido Demokratiko Pillipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) to other parties because of internal conflicts involving leadership positions in Congress.

Paolo is not a member of the 84-strong PDP-Laban, the party of the President despite it being the biggest political bloc in the House of Representatives.

Around 15 PDP-Laban congressmen have officially moved to the NUP, while some 20 more members are reportedly moving to the Nacionalista Party, the party of House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano.

Aside from the PDP-Laban, the House party-list coalition had conducted a loyalty check to reaffirm ties with party-list representatives, as some of them have also forged alliance with the NUP.

“On Monday, the 54-member party-list coalition will submit a signed manifesto to Speaker Cayetano stating that the coalition is intact and that none of our members has joined any political parties, which by law is also not permitted,” said 1-Pacman Rep. Michael Romero, the president of the party-list bloc.

ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Nina Taduran, one of the representatives now allied with the NUP, earlier claimed that their alliance with the group does not affect their membership in the party-list bloc.

Among those who joined the NUP were ACT-CIS party-list Representatives Jocelyn Tulfo and Eric Yap; AKO-Bicol Representatives Alfredo Garbin Jr., Elizaldy Co, Angelica Co and Sonny Lagon; Dumper Rep. Claudine Bautista; Galing sa Puso Rep. Jose Padiernos; LPGMA Rep. Rodolfo Albano; Marino Rep. Carlo Lisandro Gonzales; and PBA party-list Rep. Jericho Nograles.000