Vice Pres. Sara Duterte Speaks on Consulting Pinoy Communities in Other Countries Abroad
SARA DUTERTE – The Vice President expressed a suggestion to the Marcos administration to explore the Filipino communities abroad.
Undeniably, Vice Pres. Duterte earned countless criticisms with her frequent travels to the different countries abroad this year. She usually meets with their family’s supporters in other nations amid the detention of her father, former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte, under the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte previously met with her supporters in Paris after she visited Kuwait. The OVP previously defended Duterte’s travel to Kuwait saying it’s “authorized” and in line with her mandate. After her side-trip in Paris, she headed to The Hague, Netherlands for visitations to former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte.
According to the Office of the Vice President, no public funds are used in the travels of Vice Pres. Duterte abroad. The Vice President also previously claimed that she remains to work even when she is out of the country. However, she refused to take the challenge of Malacañang to submit a report of her work abroad if she is really working while she is in other countries.
According to Duterte, it is not her obligation to disclose details of her trip. After the May 2025 Midterm Elections, the Vice President has been to four (4) countries in less than a month — Doha, Qatar; The Hague, Netherlands; Malaysia; and Australia. Malacañang stressed that Duterte is traveling abroad while Pres. Bongbong Marcos is working in the country.
Previously, when asked about the violation that Duterte is possibly committing with her frequent overseas trips, Palace press officer undersecretary Claire Castro cited her obligations to the Filipino people. However, the Malacañang official said there’s nothing we can do if she wants to be busy in her travels. She stressed that the Filipinos are seeing what the elected official is doing.
As for Vice Pres. Sara Duterte, she travels abroad because the Filipino communities in other countries are allegedly “frustrated” already over what is happening in the Philippines. However, as for the Palace, the Vice President’s travel is not the solution if the country indeed has problems.
Recently, amid the controversial flood control projects in the Philippines and the still-existing problems of flooding in many areas across the nation, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte suggested that the Marcos administration should follow what she does which is exploring the Filipino communities abroad to consult them.
Based on a report on 24 Oras, Vice Pres Sara Duterte stressed that the overseas Filipino workers are the “best consultants” on what to do as they are the ones who witnessed what other countries are doing. The Vice President spoke while she is in The Hague now.
“Siguro dapat gawin nila ‘yung ginagawa ko, diba? Umiikot ako sa iba’t ibang Filipino communities around the world. The overseas Filipinos and the overseas Filipino workers ang pinaka the best na mga consultants, kasi sila ‘yung nakatira, nakaikot sa buong mundo, naka-trabaho sa iba’t ibang lugar. Alam nila ang best practices,” Duterte said based on the report.
Furthermore, Vice Pres. Duterte also claimed asking the Filipinos in other countries what are doable in the Philippines based on the country where they are in.
“So anong dapat ginagawa natin? Tinatanong natin sila. Ano ba yung nakita ninyo? Ano ba ‘yung pangarap natin para sa ating bayan? Ano ba ‘yung doable doon sa ating bayan na best practices galing sa, sabihin na natin sa Kuwait, sabihin na natin sa Australia, sabihin na natin sa Netherlands,” the Vice President said.
Recently, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte confirmed that she is set to visit Japan before the ICC hearing of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte on September 23.