OVP not releasing funds for salaries of security personnel –Sara Duterte

Vice President Sara Duterte said Monday that her office was not releasing money for the salaries of the Vice President Security and Protection Group (VPSG) personnel.

In an interview with reporters at the sidelines of the Senate Finance Committee deliberation on the proposed P2.385 billion Vice President's Office 2024 budget, Duterte was asked if her office was not releasing money for at least 433 security personnel.

"Yes, that is correct. The personnel from the Vice President Security and Protection Group all come from the members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police," Duterte said.

"The number and deployment depends on the decision of AFP and PNP," she added.

The OVP defended the deployment of 433 security personnel for Duterte in the past year, saying that the Commission on Audit made no "adverse" finding on it in its 2022 audit report on the OVP. 

Further, the OVP said additional security personnel were needed for Duterte as it cited her other titles, including Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), Co-Vice Chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), and President of the Southeast Asia Ministers of Education Organization.

Data released by the OVP showed that the agency reported 558 security personnel from July 2022 to August 2023: 252 for the second half of 2022; 93 for the first quarter of 2023, 118 for the second quarter of 2023; and 21 for July and August.

In the budget hearing, Senator Sonny Angara, who chairs the committee, explained that these security personnel worked in shifts, noting that they were not deployed all at the same time.

"I suspect kasi ako may security, we have six or four, hindi naman sila sabay-sabay diba? Kasi may nagpapahinga, may shifting 'yan diba, hindi naman kailangan alert 'yun diba. Tapos kapag pumupunta si VP sa isang lugar, out of town, mauuna 'yun. may advance party 'yun," Angara said.

(I have a security detail; we have six or four. They're not going on duty at the same time. Some are resting, they have shifts. They are not alert all the time. If the VP goes out of town, there's an advance party for that.)

"I just want to put that on record because the impression it might create in the public that sabay-sabay nagdu-duty 'yan, which is not the case for many of us in public service," he added.

(I just want to put that on record because it might create an impression that they go on duty at the same time. Which is not the case for many of us in public service.) — DVM, GMA Integrated News