Where is VP Sara? Senate to vote on impeachment, but her whereabouts unknown
MANILA, Philippines — As the Senate prepares to decide today on how to proceed with Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, her office on Wednesday, August 6, would not say where exactly the vice president was, or if she was still in the country.
Pressed by reporters, Office of the Vice President (OVP) spokesperson Ruth Castelo sidestepped questions about Duterte’s current whereabouts or travel plans and instead said she needed to “get back” to them with verified information.
"Let me verify that information. We’ll get back to you on that,” Castelo said at the press conference at the OVP's headquarters.
Asked again if Duterte was currently in the Philippines, Castelo said, “We'll get back to you on that before we end this conference."
When a reporter asked if Duterte was in the OVP office itself, Castelo quipped: “Who knows? She can just be right in the office... a few steps away."
"Okay, sige. We'll give you the answer later, after we confirm," the OVP spokesperson added.
'Sometimes like a ghost'
The OVP spokesperson insisted Duterte remained in charge of the office’s operations by issuing instructions remotely and reviewing her office's public releases, even if not physically present.
Everything released by the OVP — including press statements and social media posts — is cleared by Duterte herself, Castelo said.
Duterte personally checks if the figures are correct or accurate, Castelo added. "That's how the vice president is involved."
"She may not be here physically, hindi lang natin nakikita, pero yung trabaho na kailangan niyang gawin for the office is still being done," Castelo said.
(She may not be here physically, we just don't see her, but the work that she needs to do for the office is still being done.)
"Ano lang, minsan virtual, minsan ghost (Sometimes virtually, sometimes like a ghost)," she added.
The last official update on Duterte’s whereabouts was posted on August 4 by the OVP’s Facebook page, with photos showing her in Marinduque from July 29 to 31 with former House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco.
Duterte earlier said she would fly to Kuwait on August 8 to attend an event with supporters. Castelo, however, did not confirm whether the vice president would still go through with her plan.
So far this year, Duterte has made multiple foreign trips, including visits to The Hague to see her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who has been detained under the custody of the International Criminal Court since March.
Duterte has also attended overseas Filipino workers’ events in Hong Kong, Qatar, Malaysia, and Australia.
During these events, Duterte mainly speaks to her supporters, providing updates on her father's well-being and, at one point, asking them to publicly criticize and raise awareness on the elder Duterte's detention.
What's next for Sara's impeachment trial? The Senate is expected to vote today on whether to follow the Supreme Court’s ruling that blocked Duterte’s impeachment trial.
The SC earlier declared the House-passed articles of impeachment unconstitutional.
The lower chamber has since sought a reversal of the decision by filing a motion for reconsideration.
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