VICE President Sara Duterte on Thursday accused Malacañang of spreading false claims that she planned to travel to Kuwait without the required authorization, calling it “political scapegoating” meant to divert public attention from the administration’s recent impeachment blow.
“There’s no truth at all that I went to Kuwait without a travel authority,” Duterte told reporters in Davao City on August 7.
She alleged that the Office of the President was trying to shift the conversation away from the Senate’s decision to archive her impeachment complaint — a ruling she described as unfavorable to the administration.
“Yesterday, we saw that the Senate’s decision was unfavorable to the administration. So, they made up a story that I left the country without travel authority to capture the public’s attention and continue their persistent attacks against me. I call that political scapegoating,” she said.
Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro, speaking to reporters in India, earlier claimed she had received information about Duterte’s supposed trip to Kuwait on August 8 without clearance from the Office of the Executive Secretary.
Duterte dismissed this as false, pointing out that the Palace and the Presidential Communications Office themselves often warn against spreading “disinformation and fake news.”
The Supreme Court had previously halted the impeachment proceedings against Duterte, ruling that they violated the constitutional “one-year bar rule” on impeachment complaints.
Following this, the Senate ordered the case archived while awaiting the Court’s final decision.