Vice President Sara Duterte (Photo from Inday Sara Duterte/FACEBOOK PAGE)
DAVAO CITY — Vice President Sara Duterte said the timing of her trip outside the country was “unfortunate” as it coincided with the onslaught of Carina in Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon.
In a statement on Thursday, Duterte’s office said that even amid her absence, the Disaster Operations Center of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) “is always ready to assist families affected by calamities.”
Duterte drew flak from netizens when it was reported that she and her family left the country on Wednesday.
READ: Imee Marcos on VP Duterte’s Germany trip: She didn’t know there was storm
“The Vice President is on a personal trip with her family overseas,” the statement from OVP said, adding that the trip was covered by a travel authority from the Office of the President issued last July 9.
The statement did not mention where she and her family were traveling to, although it was already reported that they took a flight bound for Dubai from where they will take a connecting flight to Munich, Germany.
“The timing of the trip coinciding with Typhoon Carina is unfortunate,” the OVP said. JOSELLE R. BADILLA
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