President Rodrigo Duterte would not stop his son, Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, from resigning.

"Well, let the people decide. But if you think that there is a better (way) to do it, do what is right," Duterte told reporters early Tuesday in Davao City when asked to comment on the announcement of Paolo to quit as vice mayor of the city.

He said he met with Paolo and his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, the other night while waiting for the report on the fire that hit New City Commercial Center or NCCC mall on Dec. 23.

Duterte said Paolo consulted him and he told him, "you are in a position to do what is right. What you think is right, do it."

But Duterte said he never suggested to his son to resign.

He said Paolo could have been hurt from the insinuations regarding the controversial pre-debut pictorial of the latter's daughter, Isabelle, in Malacanang.

He also cited the Senate's invitation to his son to appear in the investigation on the P6.4-billion shipment of illegal drugs from China last May and was able to pass through the Bureau of Customs.

"And he considered it most unfair," Duterte said.

Paolo and brother-in-law Manases Carpio, husband of Sara, appeared before a Senate investigation due to their alleged involvement in the smuggling at the BOC. The two denied the allegations.

In his announcement on Monday during the special session of the city council, Paolo said he was resigning to protect his honor and that of his children following the "recent unfortunate events" in his life that were closely tied to his failed first marriage.

"These, among others, include the maligning of my reputation in the recent name dropping incident in the Bureau of Customs' smuggling case and the very public squabble with my daughter," he has said. Celerina Monte/DMS