3 hours ago
4
Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!
Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.
Visit Suniway.ph to learn
Alexis Romero - The Philippine Star
May 3, 2026 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang has permitted Vice President Sara Duterte to embark on overseas trips she originally sought to undertake starting last month.
Palace press officer Claire Castro confirmed in a text message yesterday reports that the Office of the President allowed Duterte to travel abroad from May 2 to 15.
Duterte originally intended to go to the Netherlands, South Korea, Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom from April 23 to May 15 “while on leave of absence at no cost to the government.”
Malacañang previously allowed her to proceed with her foreign trips in a letter dated April 22 and signed by Executive Secretary Ralph Recto.
However, the Vice President, a former ally-turned-arch critic of President Marcos, decided not to push through with the trip, citing change in plans because of “uncertainty” on whether she would be permitted to depart.
According to a Politiko report, Duterte had filed a “very urgent” amendment seeking to reschedule her travel dates to May 2 to 15 while retaining her itinerary.
If the trip pushes through, she would not be in the Philippines on May 11, the possible date of the House plenary voting on the impeach complaint against her.
Malacañang confirmed the approval days after the House of Representatives justice committee found probable cause to impeach Duterte.
The decision will bring the complaints against Duterte to the plenary for voting and opened the possibility of a trial in the Senate.
Duterte is facing impeachment complaints over the alleged plot to kill Marcos, First Lady Liza Marcos and then House speaker Martin Romualdez and her supposed failure to properly account for the confidential funds allocated to her office.
Duterte, who ran alongside Marcos under the UniTeam coalition during the 2022 elections, has denied all the allegations.
