MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday questioned the validity of evidence linking her to a controversial travel authorization for Laos and broader national security issues, claiming the administration is manufacturing a case to undermine her.
In an official statement, Duterte argued that the government shifted its approach after the House of Representatives prosecution team failed to deliver a compelling case for an impeachable offense during the ongoing proceedings.
“When the House of Representatives prosecution team failed to establish a convincing case of an impeachable offense, all it could offer were wacky poses that were neither entertaining nor amusing,” Duterte stated.
She further claimed that state actors are trying to weave unrelated events into an elaborate security threat.
“Now, we are witnessing an apparent shift in the government’s narrative in taking me down, attempting to reframe the matter as a national security issue. Every thread seems to be stretched into a conspiracy—from a business venture allegedly linked to Chinese funding to a drug bust in Laos supposedly connected to a Mindanao-Davao conspiracy,” she noted.
Challenging authorities to prove their claims, Duterte pointedly remarked, “But what evidence does the government have to substantiate these sweeping accusations? None that has been convincingly presented”.
The Vice President also cast doubt on the authenticity of a circulating travel clearance for Laos, describing it as a manipulated document designed to manufacture proof.
“What we see instead is desperation, exemplified by a purported travel authority for Laos that appears to have been fabricated to prop up a narrative unsupported by credible evidence,” she said.
Duterte added that the document lacked validation from the Office of the President on September 29, noting that official channels typically disclose her overseas itineraries.
“Remarkably, the document was never confirmed by the Office of the President on September 29, 2026, who has always made it a point to announce my foreign travels,” she emphasized.