THE Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) traveling expenses in 2023 hit P42.58 million, more than double the P20.11 million it spent for the same purpose in 2022, or an increase of 111.72 percent.
The OVP disclosed these figures in its 2023 financial statement which was attached to the agency’s annual audit report released by the Commission on Audit yesterday.
2023 was Vice President Sara Duterte’s first full year in the OVP since assuming office on June 30, 2022 after winning the election with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Based on the breakdown, expenditures on local travels last year amounted to P31.43 million, up 68.8 percent from P18.62 million in 2022.
On the other hand, the total cost of OVP’s foreign trips in 2023 was reported at P11.15 million against only P1.49 million in 2022, or a whopping 646.55 percent increase year on year.
The OVP, in its explanation, said “Travelling Expenses – Local” covers transportation and other travel expenses of Vice President Sara Duterte and her immediate staff, members of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG), and other support personnel.
For the foreign travels, the OVP said the amount “covers the Daily Subsistence Allowance and other travel expenses for official foreign engagements and events attended by the Vice President, VPSPG, and other official members of the delegation.”
Also last year, the OVP expanded its manpower complement from 683 in 2022 to 865, consisting of 156 personnel holding plantilla positions and 709 non-plantilla.
Those with plantilla positions are elected, presidential appointees, co-terminus, or with permanent positions in the OVP.
Included under non-plantilla personnel are contractual and casual, contract of service hires, consultants, protocol officers from the Department of Foreign Affairs, and members of the Vice President’s security unit.
During recent budget hearings, Duterte came under intense questioning from lawmakers about the 433 members of the VPSPG in 2022, which represented 63 percent of the OVP’s total personnel headcount.
In July this year, the PNP announced that it has recalled 75 police personnel from Duterte’s security detail.
This was followed by an announcement last week from the Armed Forces of the Philippines that soldiers assigned to the VPSPG will be replaced in the aftermath of disclosures at a congressional hearing that some military officers were implicated in the questioned handling of millions of pesos in confidential funds.
In 2023, records showed the OVP even increased its VPSPG to 443 members, which meant they represented 51.2 percent or more than half of the total personnel of the agency.
The number of contract of service personnel also increased from 70 in 2022 to 224 last year.
