The Philippine Air Force (PAF) denied on Thursday that Vice President Sara Duterte has been using its helicopter for personal transportation from Manila to Davao.

In a television interview, Col. Ma Consuelo Castillo, PAF spokesperson, explained that it is not rational to use helicopters as transportation from Manila to Davao.

"We can attest to the fact that our helicopters were not being used everyday, like what others were saying that is being used to go home to Davao. I presume that they assume it is to travel from Manila to Davao," she said.

"I was presidential helicopter pilot..., and if we are going to use helicopters from Manila to Davao it will take almost more than half a day to travel because there is a need to take stops for refueling. So it is really not rational and practical to use helicopter going home to Davao everyday especially if coming from Metro Manila," she added.

Castillo said the PAF only used its helicopters for official functions as she added that the use of presidential aircraft by the vice president and other cabinet secretaries is also authorized.

''We only utilize helicopters and fixed wing aircraft for official functions and definitely our vice president is authorized especially if there is a directive from the Office of the President to allow our vice president and other cabinet secretaries to use our presidential aircraft," she said.

Duterte, also secretary of the Department of Education, was criticized in social media for using military choppers for personal transportation. Robina Asido/DMS