While Vice President Sara Duterte is admittedly not always present at the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) headquarters in Mandaluyong City, her spokesperson said she continues to be heavily involved in all of the programs, projects, and functions of her office.

In a press conference on Wednesday, Aug. 6, OVP spokesperson Ruth Castelo clarified that the Vice President would regularly give her comments and inputs on the OVP’s programs, as well as monitor the press releases and figures that her office posts.

“She may not be here physically. Hindi lang natin nakikita pero ‘yung trabaho na kailangan niyang gawin (We just don’t see her but the work she has to do) for the office is still being done. Ano lang, minsan, virtual, minsan ghost (Sometimes virtual, sometimes ghost),” Castelo, a lawyer, said.

The official stressed that Duterte had been heavily using technology to be “as involved” in the OVP “as (when) she started).”

“So, nung ni-rollout ‘yung mga programa natin (So, when we rolled out the programs) beginning 2022 up to now, her involvement is the same - even more,” Castelo claimed, adding that Duterte’s involvement “never diminished” because she constantly comes up with new ideas for the OVP.

“Tayo lang ‘yung mga nandito kami ‘yung gumagawa kami ‘yung mga sundalo (We’re the ones here and we’re the ones doing the work like soldiers) but the instructions come directly from the Vice President herself,” she emphasized.

Duterte had spent most of the month of July in The Hague, Netherlands to visit her father, after having just been there during her birthday on May 31. She then skipped the President’s fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) and proceeded to attend a pro-Duterte rally in South Korea.

She was supposed to be back in the country on July 28, the day of the SONA, but she was only seen in Marinduque after her arrival.

The OVP has, in fact, remained mum about the Vice President’s whereabouts despite earlier pronouncements that she was scheduled to attend another “Free Duterte Rally” in Kuwait on Aug. 8.

Castelo claimed that the OVP will continue to do its work despite the political noise—regarding the impeachment and low survey numbers—outside the office.

“We’re shielded, we do not know what’s happening outside. So, tuloy lang kung ano ang trabaho (we will just continue working),” she said.

“Oo, ‘yun lang naman ang (that’s the) focus kasi (because) of course that’s the standing order from the Vice President also na (that’s) whatever happens outside, whatever happens in politics, diretso lang (go to work), focus lang (let’s focus) on the Office of the Vice President,” she added.

The OVP spokesperson earlier said she was specifically hired to inform the public about the OVP’s programs and projects. A separate team is handling the impeachment case of the Vice President.

Castelo also shrugged off a recent survey showing Duterte’s trust and performance ratings have slightly dipped, particularly in Balance Luzon and the Visayas region.

“Okay lang po sa atin (It’s okay with us) if that is their findings and of course with that, kung totoo man ‘yan o hindi (whether it is true or not), we have resolved to do better for the Office of the Vice President,” she stressed.

“The Vice President herself also has resolved to work even harder than we are all working now. So pagbubutihin po natin lalo ang serbisyo na ibibigay natin sa taong bayan (we will work harder and provide better services to our people),” she added.