VP Sara still working despite low public visibility — office

Vice President Sara Duterte is still doing her job even if she's not been seen recently in public, her spokesperson said on Wednesday.

"She may not be here physically, hindi lang natin nakikita, pero 'yung trabaho na kailangan nyang gawin for the office is still being done. Ano lang, minsan virtual, minsan ghost," Office of the Vice President spokesperson lawyer Ruth Castelo told reporters in a press conference at the OVP headquarters in Mandaluyong City.

Castelo also said that the Vice President continues to work for the office and gives instructions directly—even remotely.

"So her involvement never diminished. Even if she's not physically here, she's still the one running the office. Kasi may technology naman eh, di ba?" she said."Tayo lang 'yung mga nandito, kami ang gumagawa, kami ang mga sundalo. The instructions come directly from the Vice President herself," the OVP spokesperson added.

Castelo also stressed that the Vice President remains involved in day-to-day tasks, even in the approval of press releases.

"So lahat po ng ginagawa ng Office of the Vice President, even the regular programs that we have, submitted sa kanya lahat ng report. Or even the press releases that we make, even the ones in social media chine-check po muna ni Vice President 'yun kung tama ba or accurate ba 'yung mga figures na binigay nyo iko-compare nya doon sa records nya," Castelo said.

Despite the decline in performance ratings in recent surveys, Castelo said that the Vice President is working hard to do better.

"We respect the survey regardless of the source kung saan galing yung survey na 'yan. Okay lang po sakin if that is their findings. With that, kung totoo man yan o hindi, we have resolved to do better. The Vice President herself also resolved to work even harder than we are all working now," Castelo said.

"So pagbubutihin pa natin lalo ang serbisyo na ibibigay natin sa taumbayan," she added.