The Office of the Vice President (OVP) claimed that Vice President Sara Duterte was “on the road” and “talking to people” during the House plenary hearing on the agency’s budget on Monday, Sept. 23, belying media reports the official was seen in a beach resort on the same day.
Vice President Sara Duterte (Photo from Inday Sara Duterte Facebook page)
A statement released by the OVP on Monday night warned the public against “some media outlets” that reported on the Vice President’s whereabouts after she skipped the plenary deliberations at the House of Representatives.
“The public is cautioned about the attempts of some media outlets to once again besmirch the reputation of the Vice President by publishing stories that she is on the beach while the House of Representatives is conducting the plenary deliberations on the budget,” the OVP said.
Instead, Duterte’s office explained that she “was on the road today talking to the people about the current events in our country.”
The statement also added that Duterte made stops in Vinzons and Daet, Camarines Norte and Legazpi, Albay.
“It is quite easy to confirm her activities through social media posts of the residents in these areas,” her office said.
“The OVP condemns fake news and media releases for clickbaits and profit.”
An online news website reported that Duterte went to Calaguas Island in Camarines Norte after her meeting with former vice president Leni Robredo in Naga City last week.
It also published a photo of her wearing shorts with six others by the beach. She was seen posing by the sign of the Calaguas Island Resort in another photo.
A time stamp of one of the photos showed it was taken at 6:21:01 a.m. of Sept. 23, 2024.
Duterte was a no-show at the House plenary hearing for the OVP’s 2025 budget proposal of P2.037-billion, telling House budget sponsor Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Adiong in a letter that she leaves the deliberation of the OVP budget “entirely to the pleasure of the House of Representatives.”