Vice President Sara Duterte | PHOTO: Official Facebook apge of Inday Sara Duterte
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday confirmed that the Philippine National Police (PNP) pulled out all 75 members of her security group.
“I confirm that on 22 July 2024, an Order was issued by the Chief of the Philippine National Police relieving all of the 75 PNP Police and Security Group personnel that were previously assigned for my protection,” Duterte’s statement read.
She assured the public that the order would not affect her work.
“Tuloy-tuloy pa rin ang ating trabaho upang makapaghatia tayo ng serbisyo sa ating mga kababayan — lalong-lao na sa mga liblib o underserved communities sa ating bansa,” Duterte said.
(Our work is still ongoing to distribute services to our countrymen — especially to remote or underserved communities in our country.)
“I do hope, however, that with this latest directive of the Chief PNP, we hear less cries from the people regarding the proliferation of drugs in the country, and that even fewer shall fall victim to various criminals,” she added.
PNP chief Rommel Marbil explained that Duterte’s security is no longer under the PNP, but the Presidential Security Command.
He said the withdrawn police officers will instead be used to address the PNP’s shortage of personnel.
“Especially sa NCR (National Capital Region) na kulang kulang ang mga tao natin, we have to…nagbawas po kami ng mga tao na hindi naman nila kailangan,” he added.
(Especially in the NCR where our personnel are not enough, we have to…we have reduced personnel that they don’t need.)
Based on a Commission on Audit report on the Office of the Vice President in 2022, Duterte’s Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group had 433 members.