Vice President Sara Duterte said the "libreng sakay" implemented by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) will continue despite rising oil prices caused by tensions in the Middle East.

Duterte confirmed the continuation of her office's free bus ride program during an interview in Davao City on Saturday, March 14. 

"Yes, opo. Tutuloy yun dahil project na talaga yun ng Office of the Vice President (Yes, that will continue because it is already a project of the Office of the Vice President)," Duterte said.

"Actually, nung nakita ko yung AVP kanina, nag-iisip ako pa ano pa kami makatulong sa mga tao, especially in their daily commute (In fact, when I saw the AVP earlier, I was thinking about what else we could do to help people, especially with their daily commute)," Duterte added.

The OVP launched its “Libreng Sakay” program in July last year. It has nine buses deployed in different areas—Metro Manila, Cavite, Bacolod, Cebu, Davao, and Tacloban.

According to the OVP, the program will continue until the end of Duterte’s term.