Despite her recent absence from the public eye, Vice President Sara Duterte remains actively involved in the rollout of programs under the Office of the Vice President (OVP).
In a press conference, OVP spokesperson Atty. Ruth Castelo has yet to provide specific details when asked about Duterte’s current whereabouts and upcoming overseas trips.
“We’ll get back to you on that one,” she said.
However, Castelo assured the public that Duterte remains hands-on in overseeing the OVP’s initiatives.
"The Vice President is as involved as she started. So, nung niroll-out 'yung mga programa natin beginning 2022 up to now, her involvement is the same, even more," the VP spokesperson stated.
OVP maintained that Duterte continues to play an active role in office operations, noting that she regularly contributes new ideas and identifies areas for improvement across various programs.
The OVP added that the Vice President’s "involvement has never diminished" over time.
Castelo further clarified that Duterte may not always be physically present, but she remains at the helm of decision-making within the office.
“She may not be here physically, hindi lang natin nakikita, pero yung trabaho na kailangan niyang gawin for the office is still being done," Castelo explained.
"Ano lang, minsan virtual, minsan ghost,” she added.
Meanwhile, despite the lack of information on her whereabouts, the Senate is expected to act on her impeachment case on Wednesday, August 6 — though the Supreme Court’s ruling may influence the course of the proceedings.
Last July 25, the SC declared the impeachment case against her 'unconstitutional' as it violated the one-year bar rule under Article XI, Section 3(5) of the Constitution and the right to due process enshrined in the Bill of Rights.
