The Commission on Audit (COA) said the Office of the Vice President (OVP) had 335 non-plantilla personnel under its Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG) in 2024 – or fewer compared to previous years,.

In its 2024 annual audit report on the OVP, the OVP – led by Vice President Sara Duterte – had 165 filled plantilla positions and 616 filled non-plantilla or detailed positions. Of this, 335 were from the VPSPG.

In 2023, there were 443 personnel under the VPSPG, and 433 personnel under the VPSPG in 2022.

In December 2024, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. said the VPSPG would be replaced to ensure effective security for Duterte.

However, Duterte said she informed Brawner that she would not accept replacement members from the military for the VPSPG.

She added that she was considering getting security services from private agencies amid the supposed threats to her life and the expected pullout of some soldiers from the VPSPG.

As of July 2025, the OVP said it spent P20.68 million on its local and foreign trips, covering the expenses of Duterte’s security and close-in personnel.

Of the P20.68 million, P13.207 million was spent for local travels, while P7.473 million was for foreign travels.

In its audit report, the COA said the expenses of the OVP for its local and foreign trips included the travel expenses of Duterte and the VPSPG, among others.

With fewer VPSPG personnel, the traveling expenses of the OVP also decreased from P42.77 million in 2023, to P34.42 million in 2024.