The Office of the Vice President (OVP) explained on Thursday that Vice President Sara Duterte was granted a travel authority when she left the country on Wednesday for a “personal trip with her family overseas.”
“Her (Duterte’s) departure received the necessary approvals, as evidenced by the travel authority issued by the Office of the President dated 09 July 2024,” the OVP said in a statement.
The OVP noted that while “the timing of the trip coinciding with Typhoon Carina is unfortunate,” its Disaster Operations Center “is always ready to assist families affected by calamities.”
“We thank the public for respecting the privacy of the other members of the family,” the statement added.
Earlier, a source from the OVP said the Vice President’s trip was “not a spur-of-the-moment decision to take vacation.”
Duterte was seen departing from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 at 1:50 a.m. on Wednesday for their flight to Germany with her husband, children, and mother Elizabeth Zimmerman when monsoon rains enhanced by Super Typhoon ‘Carina’ battered the Philippines.
The Duterte-Carpios were reportedly visiting the Zimmerman side of their family in Germany. There are no details yet on when the Vice President will return to the Philippines as of this writing.
While she was on her flight, the OVP announced relief efforts were underway in view of the onslaught of ‘Carina’-enhanced habagat through its Disaster Operations Center (DOC).
Responders from the OVP specifically focused on the National Capital Region (NCR) and Calabarzon, distributing relief goods to flood-stricken areas.
Despite these efforts, Duterte’s departure drew flak from Filipinos on social media.
The hashtags #NasaanAngBisePresidente, #SaraDuterte, and #DesignatedSurvivor immediately trended on X (formerly Twitter) after a news report showed that Duterte was departing for Germany.
