Vice President Sara Duterte has dared members of the House of Representatives to disclose their own travel records after she was criticized about her supposed frequent trips abroad.
Duterte said her international travels are not for leisure but in response to the concerns of overseas Filipino communities and to visit her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is currently detained at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague, Netherlands for alleged crimes against humanity.
“Ilabas din siguro nila ‘yung travels ng mga members ng House of Representatives bago sila magtuturo ng nga tao na constant travel. Sa totoo lang, hindi naman ako nagta-travel dahil gusto mag-travel. Nagta-travel ako, lumalabas ako ng bansa, dahil frustrated na ang Filipino communities abroad sa nangyayari dito sa ating bayan. At pangalawa, bumibisita ako sa tatay ko na nakakulong,” the Vice President said.
The Vice President also responded to the allegation of her so-called habitual absence.
“Habitual absent saan? Hindi ko alam kung ano yung pinagsasabi nila na habitual absent. As I said, ito na naman yung style ng mga tao na anti-Duterte na nagbibigay lang ng akusasyon kung saan-saan at wala namang basihan, walang ebidensya,” she added.
The Vice President also said she is ready to respond, in the proper forum, to the allegations stated in the impeachment complaint against her, which the Supreme Court has declared unconstitutional.
“Noong umakyat sa Supreme Court ‘yung kaso, lahat ng hiningi ng Supreme Court ay ibinigay namin. Doon sa tamang forum at tamang venue, nagbibigay kami ng saktong sagot at nagbibigay kami ng explanation ng mga accusations pero hindi pwede na moro-moro kung saan lang nagbibigay ng akusasyon at kung kailan lang nila gusto mag-akusa ng tao,” she said.
The Vice President was in Davao City to attend the Kadayawan Festival 2025 Tribal Village Tour at Magsaysay Park, where she and representatives of the diplomatic communities of China and Malaysia visited the traditional houses of the city’s 11 ethnolinguistic tribes.
The Vice President also attended the Kadayawan lunch with Mindanao councilors.
