The Office of the President granted Vice President Sara Duterte a travel authority as of 8 p.m. Tuesday, according to Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro.
In a statement Wednesday, Castro said the PCO was not informed about the approval due to Duterte’s right to privacy and confidentiality.
“The Office of the President issued travel authority to VP Sara as of last night, 8 p.m.,” Castro said in a message.
“PCO was not informed about this because of her right to privacy, and it may be too confidential on her part,” she added.
VP Duterte flew to the Netherlands to accompany her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who was arrested by the International Criminal Court over his anti-drug campaign.
According to the Office of the Vice President, VP Duterte departed from Manila Wednesday morning via Emirates flight no. EK 337 bound for Amsterdam.
The House of Representatives also granted travel authority to Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, who took a separate flight bound for the Netherlands on the same day to meet with his sister and their father.
In a letter addressed to House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Rep. Duterte requested travel clearance on March 11, 2025 to take a “personal trip” to the Netherlands and Japan from March 12 to April 15, 2025.
“The expenditures incurred from this trip are from my personal funds alone,” Rep. Duterte said in his letter.