P7.4M spent for Sara’s security abroad–OVP
Although Vice President Sara Duterte has consistently stated that she shoulders her personal expenses whenever she goes overseas, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) said on Thursday that the costs for her security detail and staff in these trips are charged to the office budget.
During a press briefing in which the OVP presented its proposed budget for 2026, its budget division chief Kelvin Gerome Teñido reported that as of July 31, a total of P20.68 million has been spent on Duterte’s foreign and local trips this year.
“More or less around P20 million has been obligated for the travels of the OVP, including the expenses of the security personnel and the civilian personnel,” Teñido said.
Of the total amount, more than P13.2 million was spent for Duterte’s local trips and over P7.47 million for her visits abroad this year.
“We would like to emphasize that all the travel overseas of the Vice President were covered by a travel authority and did not use any public funds,” OVP assistant chief of staff Lemuel Ortonio said.
Shouldered by taxpayers
However, when asked to clarify if Duterte shouldered all her own personal expenses but charged the expenses for her security detail to taxpayer’s money, the OVP officials responded in the affirmative.
“[It was under] the OVP fund,” said Teñido.
“That 7.47 million was utilized for the security personnel of the OVP and including the close-in or the civilian personnel,” he added.
Teñido said that for this year, Duterte still has a remaining budget of P17.5 million for local trips and P24 million for foreign travels.
In total, the allocated budget for the OVP’s travel expenses in the 2025 General Appropriations Acts was P62.5 million.
Absorptive capacity
Teñido, in the same press conference, also reported that the OVP’s proposed budget for 2026 includes a lower allocation of P20 million for Duterte’s trips abroad.
“This is the lowest allocation since 2023 and the highest allocation was P31.5 million,” he said.
Asked why the allocation was lower for next year, Teñido responded:
“Usually, it’s the absorptive capacity of an agency. It’s standard protocol for all the agencies. I think the Department of Budget and Management applies the same for other agencies,” he said.
Asked if it had any connection with 2026 not being an election year, Teñido responded, “No.”
Duterte has drawn flak for her constant trips abroad this year, with her office staff at one time admitting they were unaware of her current whereabouts.
OVP spokesperson Ruth Castelo, however, said that even in her absence, the Vice President was still at work, with her presence in the office “sometimes virtual, sometimes ghost.”
So far, Duterte has gone four times to The Hague, where her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, has been detained since March 11 while waiting to be tried by the International Criminal Court.
She has also visited Hong Kong, Kuwait, South Korea, Australia, Japan, Qatar and Malaysia. Duterte, however, said her visits to Japan and Australia were personal in nature. —WITH A REPORT FROM MARIA JODI PADA
