PGMN Anchor Neil Abayon, a renowned lawyer and former congressman, criticized columnist Ramon Tulfo for sharing a purportedly fake Malacañang travel document that fueled speculation over Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged trip to Laos and a possible link to the seizure of 521 kilograms of shabu worth ₱3.5 billion.
Through his AttorNEIL Facebook page, Abayon shared a report stating that the Office of the Executive Secretary denied issuing the purported travel authority.
“Fake news ata yung tweety bird ah…
” Abayon wrote, taking a swipe at Tulfo’s claims.
He also provided a link for readers seeking to verify the report.
The controversy erupted after Tulfo circulated a Sept. 28, 2026, letter supposedly signed by Acting Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, authorizing Duterte to travel to Laos from Sept. 29 to 30 while on leave and at no government expense.
Tulfo claimed Duterte was in Laos from Sept. 28 to 30, but the OES said its records contained no request for a travel authority or corresponding approval.
However, the Office of the Executive Secretary denied issuing the clearance. A staff member of Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said the office responsible for processing travel authorities had no record of a request or approval for Duterte’s supposed trip.
Tulfo’s claims drew attention to the Oct. 1 drug interception at Luang Prabang International Airport, where authorities seized around 521 kilograms of methamphetamine, or shabu, worth ₱3.5 billion.
The drugs were reportedly concealed in 21 suitcases aboard a chartered private jet bound for the Philippines.
“Nagkataon lang siguro,” Tulfo wrote, insinuating a possible connection between Duterte’s supposed trip and the shipment.
Duterte denied the allegations Oct. 20, calling the supposed travel authority an apparent fabrication meant to support a politically damaging narrative.
“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.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla also said investigators found no evidence linking the Duterte family to the shipment.
