Vice President Sara Duterte and PNP Chief Rommel Francisco Marbil
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Vice President Sara Duterte still has nearly 400 military and police officers in her security detail even after he pulled out 75 police personnel, Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rommel Marbil told senators on Monday.
Speaking at a hearing by the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, the PNP chief defended his decision to recall the 75 cops from the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG) as part of a 鈥渞ationalization鈥� program to improve police visibility around the country.
Marbil disputed claims that he had arbitrarily removed Duterte鈥檚 entire police escorts, saying that 31 PNP members were still with the VPSPG, a new unit that the Armed Forces of the Philippines had organized for Duterte early in her term as Vice President in 2022.
He also said that 358 AFP personnel were assigned to the VPSPG. This makes a total of 389 in Duterte鈥檚 security detail.
READ: Sara Duterte cries 鈥榩olitical harassment鈥� as PNP security detail taken away
Last week, lawyer Barry Gutierrez said Duterte鈥檚 predecessor, Leni Robredo, only had 83 security personnel assigned to her, from 108 in 2016.
Duterte鈥檚 security is 鈥渕ore than four times what VP Leni got,鈥� said Gutierrez, who served as Robredo鈥檚 spokesperson when she was vice president.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla also said last week that Duterte鈥檚 detail even after the PNP pullout was 鈥渕ore than [that of] President [Marcos].鈥�
Senate allies
Marbil also told the senators that the PNP did not see any security threats against Duterte or her family.
鈥淪he has no threats. We don鈥檛 see any. She鈥檚 loved by our people,鈥� he said in response to a question by Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, committee chair and a leading ally of Duterte.
The Senate inquiry, which was supposed to tackle the June 10 police operation that failed to arrest fugitive preacher Apollo Quiboloy in Davao City, became an occasion for Duterte鈥檚 allies in the Senate to persuade Marbil to reinstate her police escorts.
Sen. Robinhood Padilla asked the PNP chief if there was 鈥減olitical pressure [to] remove鈥� the Vice President鈥檚 police security.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no political pressure. What we are doing is really to rationalize the deployment of our PNP personnel,鈥� Marbil said.
鈥淲e have to change our policy regarding troop deployment鈥� because we need more people on the ground. What we want is to be very strict [with] our police procedures. We have actually filed cases against policemen for moonlighting [as private security agents],鈥� he added.
Marbil said his rationalization program also covered police personnel assigned to some of his 鈥渕istah鈥� (classmates) from the Philippine Military Academy.
Dela Rosa, himself a former PNP chief, noted that Duterte was 鈥渘ot comfortable鈥� with the police officers left with her security.
He urged Marbil to allow the Vice President to personally handpick the police officers for her detail.
鈥淐an I get your commitment [on that]?鈥� Dela Rosa asked Marbil, who answered yes.
Open letter
Dela Rosa also challenged Marbil鈥檚 claim that there were no direct threats against Duterte, arguing that her 鈥渟trong stance鈥� against communist rebels would naturally make her their target.
鈥淭he [PNP] is not the one making the threat assessment. It鈥檚 the Presidential Security Command (PSC),鈥� Marbil said. 鈥淚f the PSC asks our help and asks for more personnel, then we will provide them,鈥� he added.
In a four-page open letter she posted on Facebook on June 29, the Vice President accused Marbil of spewing lies to justify the recall of her police escorts.
鈥淟et us spare our people from all the lies. Let us call it what it is鈥攁 clear case of political harassment,鈥� said Duterte, who did not address Marbil as PNP chief.