Vice President Sara Duterte is flying to Australia for another personal trip, this time to attend a protest in support of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is currently detained at Scheveningen Prison in The Hague on charges related to crimes against humanity.
In a statement released Friday, the Office of the Vice President confirmed that she will participate in the “Free Duterte Now” rally on June 22 in Melbourne. The demonstration is calling for the release of the elder Duterte, who faces international prosecution over the deadly war on drugs launched during his presidency.
This comes shortly after Sara Duterte’s visit to Kuala Lumpur last week, where she joined her family for a private trip and took part in a Philippine Independence Day celebration. She also held a consultation session with overseas Filipino workers during that time.
Back home, the Vice President is embroiled in multiple controversies. She is currently facing an impeachment case and a slew of legal challenges. The House of Representatives impeached her on February 5, with more than 200 lawmakers backing charges of betrayal of public trust, constitutional violations, and corruption. Her trial is expected to begin in July, during the opening of the 20th Congress.
On Thursday, the Office of the Ombudsman formally ordered Duterte and nine others from both the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education to respond to the House-filed charges linked to the alleged misuse of confidential funds.
The complaint stems from findings by the House Committee on Good Governance, which cited the questionable spending of P500 million from the OVP and P112.5 million from the DepEd between 2022 and 2024. Duterte has repeatedly denied all accusations.
