The Office of the Vice President (OVP) on Thursday, July 25, confirmed that Vice President Sara Duterte is “on a personal trip,” but stressed that relief operations are still underway for the victims of Typhoon Carina.
Wearing a hoodie jacket, Vice President Sara Duterte leaves for Munich, Germany with her family at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on July 24, 2024. (Photo from Ariel Fernandez/MANILA BULLETIN)
“The Vice President is on a personal trip with her family overseas. Her departure received the necessary approvals, as evidenced by the travel authority issued by the Office of the President dated 09 July 2024,” the statement from the OVP read.
“We thank the public for respecting the privacy of the other members of the family,” it added.
A Manila Bulletin report on Wednesday, July 24, showed a photo of the Vice President seen at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.
She reportedly left for Germany with husband Mans Carpio, their children, and Duterte’s mother, Elizabeth Zimmerman.
Her overseas trip, however, sparked criticisms as the National Capital Region (NCR) and nearby Region III and Calabarzon are being battered by heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon and intensified by Typhoon Carina.
Major areas of Metro Manila, where a state of calamity was declared, are also flooded, affecting people and livelihoods.
“The timing of the trip coinciding with Typhoon Carina is unfortunate,” Duterte’s office lamented.
“Nonetheless, the Disaster Operations Center of the OVP, institutionalized by the Vice President, is always ready to assist families affected by calamities,” the statement added.
In a separate statement, the OVP said it distributed hot meals through its DOC to disaster responders in Brgy. Manresa, Quezon City and relief bags to 300 families temporarily sheltered at the Manresa Covered Court.
On Wednesday, July 24, the OVP-DOC also prepositioned relief packs for those affected in NCR and Region 4-A.
Each relief pack contained food packs, as well as hygiene kits, blankets, sleeping mats, mosquito nets (kulambo), slippers, expandable water jugs, and other needed necessities.
The OVP said it was waiting for the Office of Civil Defense’s (OCD) green light to formally begin its relief efforts in various localities in Metro Manila and Calabarzon.