Vice President Sara Duterte (Facebook)

Filipinos deserve to hear a public apology from Vice President Sara Duterte for allegedly lying about her beach trip, specifically in Calaguas Island, Camarines Norte over the weekend. 

House Assistant Majority Leaders La Union 1st district Rep. Paolo Ortega and Zambales 1st district Rep. Jay Khonghun criticized on Wednesday, Sept. 25 the Vice President for her dishonesty, and described it as conduct unbecoming of a public official. 

The controversy started after it was revealed through police reports that Vice President Duterte had indeed spent time on Calaguas Island while the Office of the Vice President's (OVP) P2.037-billion budget for 2025 was being debated in the House of Representatives. 

Despite initial denials from the Vice President’s camp that she was "on the road" last Monday, further details surfaced--including eyewitness accounts and social media posts from locals--showing that she was present on the island that day. 

“The Vice President owes the Filipino people an explanation and an apology. This is not the kind of leadership we deserve--where the truth is hidden and lies are told to cover it up,” Ortega said. 

The "Young Gun" says that lying about the beach trip was not a trivial matter, since public trust is critical in government leadership. 

Khonghun, another Young Guns bloc member, agreed and stressed the importance of honesty and transparency for public officials. 

"This is conduct unbecoming of any public official, especially the Vice President of the Philippines. Honesty should be a non-negotiable trait for anyone who holds office," Khonghun stated.

VP Sara's take on honesty in 2019 

Ortega couldn't help but recall Vice President Duterte's controversial statement back in 2019 when she said that honesty should not be an issue during elections. This, as the then-Davao City mayor defended her candidates under the regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) who were accused of dishonesty and corruption. 

"Kung hindi tapat ang isang opisyal sa bayan, paano natin sila pagkakatiwalaan (If a public official isn't honest, how can we trust him or her?) The Vice President’s actions reflect a deep disregard for her responsibility to the Filipino people,” Ortega said. 

The lawmakers emphasized that while no one expects perfection from public officials, honesty and accountability are the least the public can expect. They also said the Vice President's actions set a dangerous precedent for other public officials, one thst would allow a culture of impunity and dishonesty to thrive if left unchecked. 

“When you’re caught in a lie, the best course of action is to apologize, not to make excuses,” Khonghun added, 

"This is about integrity. If she cannot be honest about something as simple as her whereabouts, how can we trust her on more important matters?" said Khonghun, who called the lady official's actions a serious breach of public trust that demands a swift and sincere apology. 

Ortega further criticized Duterte’s handling of the issue. He says that her refusal to face the situation head-on is damaging to the institution she represents. 

"This dishonesty tarnishes the office she holds. If we allow our leaders to get away with lying, what message does that send to the rest of the government and to the public?" he asked.