SARA DUTERTE

Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday strongly defended her recent overseas trips, stating unequivocally that no public funds were used for her personal travel abroad. She further criticized her detractors, particularly within the administration, for questioning her journeys, going as far as calling them “stupid” for their lack of understanding.

During a media interview in Pampanga on June 25, Duterte addressed the scrutiny over her frequent trips. “You know, they don’t understand, sorry, I don’t know if they are deliberately choosing not to understand or if those in the administration are just really stupid. I’d like to lean towards the latter, because of all their decisions lately,” she asserted.

The Vice President explicitly defined her use of “personal trip” versus “official trip.” “Because when it’s personal, I don’t use public funds. When it’s official, I use public funds. It doesn’t mean that a personal trip is a holiday or sightseeing. So, that’s what personal means, no government money was used for this trip but I’m still working,” she explained.

Duterte’s recent travels include attending “Free Duterte Now” rallies organized by supporters of former President Rodrigo Duterte in Australia and a previous gathering in Malaysia. She clarified that overseas Duterte supporters typically shoulder the expenses for these rallies and events, while she personally covers her airfare and hotel accommodations.

Responding to queries about whether some of her trips were related to potential locations for her father’s interim release by the International Criminal Court (ICC), Duterte retorted, “If they are not stupid, they would understand what I was doing. They are stupid, so they cannot understand.” She added, “If they want to interpret it in another way, good luck.”

The Vice President confirmed upcoming travels to South Korea and Kuwait, with the latter scheduled for August 8 to attend another gathering of her father’s supporters, though her final schedule is still being finalized.

In the same interview, Duterte expressed dismay over the “state of the nation,” conveying her embarrassment as a Filipino in light of how other countries might perceive the Philippines.