The Office of the Vice President (OVP) on Tuesday responded to the statement of Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian, saying his claim "inaccurate and misleading."

"While such statements may paint a picture of seamless coordination between our two offices, the reality on the ground tells a different story," OVP Director for Operations Norman B. Baloro said in a statement.

Baloro noted that there had been several instances when OVP referrals were declined.

"An example of this was a request for assistance to an identified group of individuals whose livelihood were affected due to the African Swine Flu virus. The request was denied because the DSWD claimed that they cannot do “mass payout,” and yet they are able to do it in other areas, together with other politicians," Baloro explained.

Baloro also said that there are clear evidence from various OVP Satellite Offices that some clients referred by the OVP have been left unattended by various Regional Offices of the DSWD.

"Isa lamang dito ay mayroong 7,056 pending applications para sa Assistance for Individuals in Crisis Situations at 2,597 pending applications para sa Sustainable Livelihood Program ang nai-refer ng OVP Panay and Negros Islands Satellite Office sa DSWD Field Office-VI na hanggang ngayon ay wala pa ring naiaabot na assistance," Baloro added.

Baloro also said that there is no clear explanation provided by the DSWD to the OVP referred clients from the Satellite Offices on the delay or inaction on the requests.

"To dismiss these unserved clients is to ignore the real challenges many Filipinos face in accessing social services," he said.

"We call for DSWD’s immediate action to address these gaps and fulfill the government’s obligation to provide aid to every Filipino," Baloro added.