Vice Pres. Sara Duterte Speaks on Recent Overseas Trips
SARA DUTERTE – The Vice President insisted that she used her own money in her personal travels abroad and not the taxpayers’ funds.
Vice Pres. Duterte is now back in the Philippines after her trip in Australia. In abroad, she attended a rally calling for the immediate release of her father, former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte, from his detention under the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Former Pres. Duterte is detained under the ICC for alleged crimes against humanity over his administration’s war on drugs. Prior to her trip to Australia, Vice Pres. Duterte has also been to Qatar, Netherlands, and Malaysia.
During her trip in Malaysia, the Vice President joined the Philippine Independence Day celebration with senators Robin Padilla and Imee Marcos. At the event, Sen. Robin Padilla even claimed that he will be the campaign manager of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte and Sen. Imee Marcos in 2028. He also called Duterte as the “next president of the Philippines”.
Vice Pres. Duterte returned to the Philippines after her trip in Malaysia and attended the 2025 Pasidungog of the Office of the Vice President. She then flew to Australia for her “personal trip”. It earned different reactions from the people as well as the Palace.
Malacañang claimed that it is Vice Pres. Duterte’s choice if she is busy with her travels. Palace press officer Atty. Claire Castro also said that the Vice President may be violating her obligations to the Filipino people with her frequent travels abroad.
Recently, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte spoke on her overseas trips. Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, the Vice President insisted that she is not using public funds. According to her, a personal trip does not mean that it is a holiday or for vaction.
Vice Pres. Duterte explained that no money of the government is used in a personal trip abroad but she continues to work while under an official trip, the public funds are used. Based on the report, the Vice President raised a question if the Marcos administration allegedly intends not to understand it.
“Hindi ko alam kung sinasadya nilang wag intindihin o bobo lang yung nasa administrasyon. I like to believe the latter,” Duterte said.
Vice Pres. Duterte has been to four (4) countries abroad in less than a month. It was after the 2025 Midterm Elections when she went to Doha, Qatar to meet the Filipinos there and then headed to The Hague, Netherlands for scheduled visits to her father. After it, she flew to Malaysia and returned to the Philippines shortly before flying to Australia.
In Australia, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte told the Filipinos to convince the Australia government to probe the alleged “injustice” versus her father, former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte.