Vice President Sara Duterte arrived in Kuwait on Friday for a gathering with the Filipino community, a visit her office stressed was both legal and consistent with her duties as a public servant.
In a statement released Saturday, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) said the trip was meant to provide a venue for overseas Filipinos to voice their concerns. “These official engagements are conducted in full compliance with existing government rules and regulations, ensuring that her presence abroad is both lawful and aligned with her responsibilities in public service,” the OVP said. It also emphasized that “no public funds are used for all her travels overseas.”
The OVP maintained that part of Duterte’s role as vice president is to engage with migrant communities, adding that after her Kuwait visit, she would “proceed to continue working” on efforts to secure the release of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte. The elder Duterte is currently detained at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, facing allegations of crimes against humanity tied to his administration’s drug war.
The vice president has been traveling frequently this year, with recent trips to the Netherlands, Malaysia, Australia, and South Korea. These visits, however, have drawn criticism from sectors questioning her “habitual absence.” Duterte responded by saying she is reaching out to Filipinos abroad who, according to her, are “frustrated with what’s happening in our country.”
