PRESIDENTIAL Adviser on Poverty Alleviation (PAPA) Secretary Larry Gadon yesterday said the government had spent more than P500 million for Vice President Sara Duterte’s 433 security detail, funds that could have been put to better use such as feeding the hungry and alleviating the poor.

In a statement, Gadon said this lavish spending for the security of just one person highlights the substantial financial burden this placed on public funds and questions the morality and propriety of such expenditures.

Gadon said Vice President Duterte has maintained 433 security personnel for the past two years, each earning an estimated salary of P50,000 per month.

“This translates to over P20 million a month, and when multiplied by 24 months, it totals an astounding P480 million,” Gadon pointed out.

He also cited available online data showing the Office of the Vice President (OVP) spent P55 million from 2022 to 2024 on special duty allowances for military and uniformed personnel.

“This means that more than half a billion pesos have been spent on the lavish security of one individual, a sum that could have been better allocated to building much-needed school infrastructure or providing food for the people,” he emphasized.

“I would have kept quiet on this issue if not for the ridiculous exaggeration of some people like Sen. Bato De La Rosa calling on private citizen groups to augment the security of VP Sara as if there is a constant, imminent grave threat and danger to her life,” Gadon said.

For the years 2019-2021, or during the term of Duterte’s predecessor, the OVP only spent a fixed P5.7 million each year for special duty allowances, the same budget records show. Gadon said the amount is a far cry from Duterte’s P25 million allocation for the same allowances until this year.

Gadon also raised concerns about the impact of this massive security detail on the broader population, explaining that “when the standard ratio of one policeman for every 2,000 individuals is used, this deployment deprives hundreds of thousands of Filipinos of essential police services.

“It’s an outrageous misallocation of resources that directly impacts public safety,” he said.

“This situation is abnormal, and it raises serious concerns about the morality and propriety of such expenditures. In all countries, the second in command is seen as a potential threat to the top leader, but in this case, it’s the exact opposite,” Gadon added.

The OVP is requesting a budget of over P2 billion for 2025, 8 percent higher than this year’s budget.