MANILA — The Office of the Vice President (OVP) said Thursday it was looking at the possibility of filing charges against those who claimed that Vice President Sara Duterte was using the presidential chopper daily to travel between Manila and Davao City.

"Pinag-aaralan namin 'yan kung magka-qualify 'yan sa isang kriminal na kaso kasi marami ring nakaloko at nalinlang 'yong mga ganyang post," OVP spokesperson Reynold Munsayac said in a video statement sent to reporters.

(We are studying if that qualifies as a criminal case because a lot of people were fooled or misled by those types of posts.)

"Kapag pinabayaan nating mag-propagate 'yong mga ganyan, minsan naniniwala 'yong taumbayan," he added.

(If we allow those to propagate, sometimes the people will believe it.)

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Duterte "doesn't use government resources for personal purposes," Munsayac said earlier in the day.

• Only when needed: OVP defends VP Duterte's use of presidential chopper

"Malinaw na malinaw ho na mayroon lang malisyang anggulong ginawa iyong mga tao regarding this matter... Hindi ho totoo iyon kasi Manila-based na ang ating Vice President at ang kanyang pamilya," he said at the weekly joint conference of the OVP and Department of Education, which Duterte also heads.

(It's very clear that there's malice on the part of the people who made those claims... That's not true because our Vice President and her family are already based in Manila.)

It's also "improbable" for someone to use a helicopter to travel daily from Manila to Davao City, said Munsayac, citing the distance between the 2 cities.

He said Duterte only uses the helicopter for "official functions," helping her accomplish her duties.

"Dahil sa access niya sa mga sasakyan na iyan, natatapos niya nang mahusay iyong kanyang mga obligasyon within the day. Kaya po siya nakakauwi sa gabi. Iyon lang naman ho iyong punto ng kanyang pasasalamat," he said.

(Because of her access to helicopters, she is able to finish her obligations within the day. That's why she said she is able to go home at night. That's the point of her thanksgiving message.)

Duterte, in a Facebook post this week, thanked President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. for allowing her to use the aircraft so she could be with her family.

"Thank you [President Bongbong] and your 250th [Presidential Airlift Wing] for ensuring that wherever I may be found in the country during the day, I am home in time to tuck my children to bed," Duterte said in a Facebook post, with a picture of her in the government aircraft.

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Some social media users called out Duterte, saying she should be thanking taxpayers for sponsoring her helicopter trips. Others slammed the move as an alleged display of privilege while most Filipinos dealt with problems in the public transport sector.

— With reports from Joyce Balancio and Arra Perez, ABS-CBN News