Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio gestures during a press briefing at the Cybergate building in Mandaluyong City on September 25, 2024. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/file

MANILA — Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian said Monday that the agency has not rejected any request for assistance from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) amid earlier claims by Vice President Sara Duterte on the alleged "politicization" of aid.

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Duterte made the claim during the OVP's budget briefing at the Senate to justify her own aid programs that appeared to duplicate the work of other agencies.

Gatchalian was asked by the subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Finance, which was chaired by Senator Imee Marcos, who during the hearing raised the complaint raised by Duterte, her close ally.

"May update ba tungkol imbestigasyon na pinangako ng DSWD tungkol kay VP Sara na sinasabi na tinatanggihan lagi ng DSWD ang kaniyang mga request para bigyan ng financial assistance kapag raw nangggaling sa OVP, kaya't napipilitan rin sila sa OVP na magbigay ng tulong sa mga nangangailangan," Marcos said.

Stressing that the DSWD does not misuse its funds, Gatchalian said there is communication from an OVP official claiming to be unaware of the Vice President's complaint.

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"With me is Assistant Secretary Ulysses Aguilar, he's the one that handles the referrals from the Office of the Vice President, agad-agad kinausap niya yung handling officer sa kabila, si Director Norman. Si Asec Uly will gladly give the text exchange kasi tinanong namin sa kaniya ano ba yung issue... In fact ang sabi niya wala rin ho siyang alam kasi lahat naman ng referral daw nila eh malugod naming tinatanggap. We can furnish you the screenshots," Gatchalian said, adding that the OVP itself lauded the DSWD for its assistance.

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"We'll also submit to the committee a copy of a plaque that we just received middle part of this year from the OVP saying na that we're a valued partner that we've always helped their referrals meron rin hi kaming parangal ho doon and we'll gladly  submit it to the committee as well." Gatchalian said.

"As far as we know wala kaming tinatanggihan," Gatchalian told Senate reporters later.