Statement of Malacañang on Overseas Trip of VP Sara Duterte
MALACAÑANG – The Palace confirmed approving the overseas trip of Vice President Sara Duterte which runs from July 16 to 31.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte has long been criticized about her frequent trips abroad. The Vice President previously claimed that no government funds are used for her personal travels to other countries.
The Office of the Vice President also previously stressed that it is supposedly part of the mandate of the Vice President to represent and advocate for the welfare of all the Filipinos in other countries. Furthermore, the OVP also pointed out that it is essential for Duterte to remain actively engaged with the Filipino migrant communities wherever they are.
According to Vice Pres. Sara Duterte, the Filipinos abroad are allegedly frustrated over what’s happening in the Philippines. The overseas trip of the Vice President became visibly frequent since her father, former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte, was sent to The Hague, Netherlands.
The elder Duterte was arrested in March 2025 with an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) amid the investigation of his administration’s controversial war on drugs. The former Chief Executive remains detained under the custody of the ICC abroad for more than a year now.
Amid the criticisms, Malacañang previously defended Pres. Bongbong Marcos saying that the government only did its job in commitment to the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol). Marcos Jr. also stressed that the issue was already present even before he came into the picture.
The arrest of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte undeniably widened the gap between Marcos and the Duterte family. According to the Vice President, they no longer expect that the ICC will release their father.
Recently, Malacañang confirmed that the Palace has granted Vice Pres. Sara Duterte the travel authority for an overseas trip. Based on News5, The Netherlands is one of the countries that the Vice President is set to visit.
Based on the post, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s trip will include both personal and official purposes. According to Malacañang, the travel authority granted to Duterte runs from July 16 to 31.
Among the countries that the Vice President is set are Germany, Qatar, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, and The Netherlands. Currently, the impeachment trial of Duterte is rolling in the Senate.
Recently, senator-judge Ping Lacson chided an unnamed senator-judge who is allegedly “bopol” and stirs dumb thoughts when speaking.