MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte confirmed on Thursday that she and her family flew to Germany, amid horrendous floods caused by “Carina” and southwest monsoon rains, but she said her office was “always ready” to assist the affected families of the typhoon.
“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,” a statement issued by the Office of the Vice Duterte said.
Although the timing of the trip is “unfortunate,” the Disaster Operations Center of the OVP is “always ready” to assist the affected families of the typhoon, the statement said.
On Wednesday, Duterte was reportedly seen at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 with her husband, their children and her mother Elizabeth Zimmerman and leaving for Germany.
Duterte received flak for the trip, weeks after she refused to attend President Marcos’ SONA last Monday. She had appointed herself as the “designated survivor.”
Still, Duterte was nowhere in sight, amid all the deaths , destructions and displacements caused by Carina and the horrible floods. The statement offered no apology.
Typhoon “Carina“ battered several areas in the country, leaving thousands of individuals stranded, and homeless; some even died during the calamity.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that 51,726 individuals are still taking refuge in evacuation centers nationwide.
About 1,453 farmers have been affected by Typhoon Carina and the southwest monsoon, impacting over 1.3 million hectares of crops. Of this, 351,590 hectares are considered unrecoverable.
The estimated agricultural damage totals P9,706,852.34, with northern Mindanao experiencing the highest losses at P6,597,134.
