Vice President Sara Duterte | CDN Photo/ Christian Dave Cuizon
MANILA, Philippines — Amid bad weather in Metro Manila and other parts of the country, Vice President Sara Duterte and her family left for an unannounced trip to Germany early Wednesday.
Duterte, along with her husband Manases Carpio, their children, and her mother Elizabeth Abellana-Zimmerman, boarded Emirates flight EK-335 to Dubai, which took off from Ninoy Aquino International Airport around 12:30 a.m.
It was not immediately clear if the Vice President left on official business or for a private matter. When asked for details regarding the trip, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) had yet to provide any information as of press time.
‘Relief boxes’ ready
As news spread of Duterte’s trip, netizens mostly posted comments on social media wondering why she had to leave the country amid a calamity, which on Wednesday caused the worst flooding so far this year in Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon.
READ: Over 10,000 families in NCR evacuated due to Carina – DSWD
Duterte’s staff did issue a press statement in the afternoon—but it was about the “relief boxes” prepared by the OVP for families affected by Typhoon “Carina” in Metro Manila and the Calabarzon region.
The OVP “awaits the greenlight from the Office of the Civil Defense to formally begin its relief efforts in various localities in Metro Manila and Calabarzon since the rescue phase is still ongoing in different flooded areas,” the statement read. —with a report from Kathleen De Villa