Statement of Malacañang on VP Sara Duterte’s Trip to Australia
MALACAÑANG – The Palace raised a question in reaction to the travel of Vice President Sara Duterte to Australia.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte is currently the center of several issues now amid the ongoing process of her impeachment. The Vice President was impeached by the House of Representatives last February 5 after more than two-thirds of the members of the lower chamber signed the impeachment rap.
Duterte is surrounded by issues regarding the spending of the Confidential Funds of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education when she was the DepEd secretary. Her camp claimed that the Marcos Jr. administration allegedly want her removed from office.
The Articles of Impeachment against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte was returned to the House but Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero clarified that it is not a dismissal or termination of the case. The Vice President was sent the summons.
Recently, the Office of the Vice President told reporters through Viber that Vice Pres. Sara Duterte is currently on a personal trip to Australia. She left Manila on Tuesday at midnight and arrived in Melbourne on Wednesday morning.
The office of Vice Pres. Duterte also said that she will be joining a rally in Melbourne on June 22, 2025. The gathering is set to call for the release of her father, former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte, who is currently detained in The Hague, Netherlands.
Former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte recently marked his 100th day in detention under the ICC (International Criminal Court). Pres. Bongbong Marcos and the Philippine government were heavily-blamed over the arrest of the former President and the transfer of his custody to the foreign court.
Malacañang previously defended Marcos Jr. from “betrayal” accusations. According to the Palace, the government only acted on its commitment with the International Criminal Organization (Interpol).
Recently, Malacañang made a short reaction to the trip of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte to Australia. Based on a report on GMA News, Palace press officer Atty. Claire Castro raised a question over the travel of the Vice President.
”Pang personal o pang bayan? That is the question,” she said.
According to Castro, it is already the choice of Duterte if she prefers to travel. The Vice President just came from a trip to Malaysia a few days ago. During her stay in Malaysia, she attended a PH Independence Day celebration where Senator Robin Padilla claimed that he will be the campaign manager of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte and Sen. Imee Marcos in 2028.