Vice President Sara Duterte is on a personal trip abroad with her family, her office confirmed on Thursday, following reports of her departure to Germany as Typhoon Carina battered Metro Manila.
“The Vice President is on a personal trip with her family overseas. Her departure received the necessary approvals, as evidenced by the travel authority issued by the Office of the President dated 09 July 2024,” stated Duterte’s office, without revealing her specific destination.
Acknowledging the poor timing of the trip, the Office of the Vice President assured that Duterte’s Disaster Operations Center is well-prepared to operate in her absence. “We thank the public for respecting the privacy of the other members of the family,” they added.
Since Wednesday, “Germany” has trended on social media platform X, following news reports of Duterte’s trip as monsoon rains intensified by Typhoon Carina inundated parts of Luzon.
Senator Imee Marcos, a close ally, defended Duterte against the criticism, stating, “Matagal nang plano ‘yun at hindi naman niya alam na may bagyo, pambihira naman,” in an interview in Manila.
The enhanced monsoon rains from Typhoon Carina have resulted in at least 21 fatalities, according to the Philippine National Police. The weather bureau, Pagasa, reported that the habagat would continue to bring moderate to intense rainfall over parts of western Luzon until Friday, prompting a state of calamity declaration for Metro Manila and other affected provinces.