Vice President Sara Duterte —Inquirer photograph/Lyn Rillon
MANILA, Philippines — A lawmaker has agreed with Vice President Sara Duterte’s name to launch all of the journey paperwork of Home of Representatives members, noting that nobody is afraid to make public their journeys overseas.
In a press briefing on Tuesday, Deputy Speaker and Antipolo Rep. Ronaldo Puno was requested about Duterte’s dare to launch Home members’ worldwide journey, amid criticisms of her frequent abroad journeys.
In keeping with Puno, there are two sorts of journey although—official, which is paid by the federal government, and private, which implies an official is on depart. Puno mentioned he has no qualms releasing his journey historical past for each private and official journeys.
READ: OVP: No information on Sara Duterte’s whereabouts
“I agree, let’s launch our journey paperwork. There are two sorts of journey, official journey and private journey. Private journey just isn’t paid by the federal government, official journey is paid by the federal government. Private journey is deducted out of your leaves, it’s thought of as your private time. That is necessary as all of us have an obligation to be current at our places of work,” Puno mentioned.
“Let’s launch our official journey, if they need even our private journeys, I agree with that. However I believe nobody is afraid of that right here in Congress. Everyone seems to be right here, you may see that. So if there are some who make journeys, let’s simply say that we must always launch all of those paperwork,” he added.
Puno mentioned journey paperwork may be in contrast with precise journey to infer whether or not authorities officers made journeys whereas nonetheless on responsibility and never on depart.
“Then we examine that with our precise journey. As a result of in case your official journey is small and your private journey is larger, then we’ve to know in case you did the latter utilizing your personal time or at a interval that you simply had been speculated to be paid in workplace,” he mentioned.
Duterte’s dare got here after she was requested whether or not her ordinary absence can have an effect on the approval and the standing of the Workplace of the Vice President (OVP) finances for 2026.
In response, Duterte mentioned that the accusation was baseless.
“Routine absence the place? I don’t even know what they’re speaking about after they say ordinary absence. As I’ve mentioned, that is simply the identical tactic utilized by anti-Duterte folks, throwing round accusations left and proper with none foundation or proof,” she mentioned.
“, baseless accusations are nothing however smear techniques which is what they all the time do,” she added.
In keeping with Duterte, she has been touring not as a result of she desires to, however out of a must verify Filipino communities overseas who’re allegedly pissed off with what is going on within the Philippines.
The Vice President additionally famous that he wants to go to her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, who’s detained on the Worldwide Legal Courtroom (ICC) within the Hague, the Netherlands.
ICC took custody of older Duterte final March 11, on account of an arrest order for the crimes in opposition to humanity instances that he’s dealing with.
“I don’t journey as a result of I wish to. I’m going overseas as a result of Filipino communities abroad are pissed off with what’s occurring in our nation, and secondly, I go to my father who’s in detention,” Duterte added.
Duterte additionally mentioned she expects the Home to chop her workplace’s proposed P903-million finances for 2026, noting {that a} related end result is feasible because the administration and the Home management has not modified.
The Vice President has made a number of abroad journeys in a brief span, beginning in Might when she traveled to the Netherlands; then to Malaysia and Australia in June; and again to the Netherlands once more and South Korea in July.
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Duterte’s current abroad journeys have spanned a number of months—starting in Might the place she traveled to the Netherlands; to Malaysia and Australia in June; after which as soon as once more to the Netherlands and South Korea in July. /cb
