The Philippine Air Force (PAF) assured the public on Wednesday, Sept. 14, that Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio’s use of the presidential chopper is always done “within the bounds” of its established protocols.

Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo, PAF spokesperson, said that while the presidential fleet is reserved for the priority use of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., it can also be used during official trips by other top government officials, including the Vice President.

“While our presidential fleet is for priority use of the President, its mandate also allows for use of other top government officials especially so if they are working on behalf and upon authority given by the President,” Castillo told the Manila Bulletin.

“Rest assured, the Vice President’s administrative movements are guaranteed to be within the bounds of our established protocols,” she added.

Duterte-Carpio earned the ire of the public on social media after revealing that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. lends her the presidential chopper to bring her home after attending official duties and “tuck my children to bed.”

The presidential chopper is operated by the PAF’s 250th Presidential Airlift Wing (250th PAW), which provides air transport for the President, immediate members of his family, visiting heads of state or government, and other local or foreign VIPs.

“Thank you, PBB, and your 250th PAW for ensuring that wherever I may be found in the country during the day, I am home in time to tuck my children to bed,” Duterte-Carpio wrote on her Facebook page as he greeted Marcos Jr. during his 65th birthday on Tuesday, Sept. 13.

This did not sit well with some netizens who blasted the Vice President’s use of government assets allegedly for personal matters, especially amid the transportation mess being experienced by the mass. The issue was quickly picked up by the media as it grabbed headlines.

But Castillo described such reports as “taken out of context” and “unduly exaggerated.”

“News about the Vice President’s post regarding her flights aboard the PAF assets were taken out of context and were unduly exaggerated. The said use of air assets is definitely not as often as have been wrongly assumed by most,” she said.

“We assure the public that all flight missions involving government officials are within regulations and catering to the administrative flight requirements of its authorized passengers such as the Vice President, being the second highest leader of the country,” Castillo noted.

The PAF official further stated that they have limited acquisition of air assets that’s why the presidential chopper is often extended to other Cabinet officials during official trips to places that are inaccessible or impractical by land travel.

“It is but natural that when she has movements across Luzon, she would use helicopters to reach more communities especially in inaccessible areas, and then the same aircraft would take her back to Manila,” Castillo said.

Lawyer Reynold Munsyac, Duterte-Carpio’s spokesperson, already stated that the Vice President only uses government chopper for “official work.” He also denied reports that Duterte-Carpio flies to her hometown in Davao City using government assets since her family is now based in Manila.