By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — Malacañang has taken up Vice President Sara Duterte’s challenge for greater transparency in government travel, saying it is ready to make public the travel authorities and expenses issued by the Office of the President.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Wednesday that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s foreign trips have consistently been documented and made known to the public, including his official and working visits.
“The Office of the President has always been transparent when it comes to travel,” Castro said.
She maintained that the President’s trips were not being concealed and that supporting documents were available.
“There are complete receipts. There are no fake receipts and no aliases,” Castro said, adding that the expenses had also been reported to the Commission on Audit.
Duterte raised the issue after canceling her planned personal trip to Japan from Aug. 19 to 24.
She called for the public release of travel authorities issued by Malacañang, together with the expenses and public funds spent on government officials’ trips.
Castro said the Palace would not limit transparency to the Vice President.
She said Malacañang was prepared to confirm travel authorities issued by the Office of the President to government officials when requested by the media or the public.
“What we really need here is transparency. Whoever demands transparency should also be transparent about their activities,” Castro said.
The Office of the President has proposed P1.014 billion for local and foreign missions and state visits under its proposed P10.083-billion budget for 2027.
The travel allocation is slightly lower than the P1.018 billion appropriated for the same purpose in the 2026 national budget.
The President’s travel budget has also fallen from its 2024 level, when P1.4 billion was allocated.
The Office of the President is authorized to issue foreign travel authorities for Cabinet members and officials of equivalent rank, heads of government-owned and controlled corporations and government financing institutions under or attached to the Palace, as well as heads of agencies under or attached to the Office of the President.
Duterte’s call for disclosure has now put the Palace’s own travel records under renewed public attention, with Malacañang saying it is prepared to provide information on travel authorities and related expenses.
The issue centers on a simple question: how much public money is being spent on official travel—and whether the public can see where it goes.
ia/xf
