FILE PHOTO: Vice President Sara Duterte | PHOTO: Official Facebook page of Inday Sara Duterte
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte’s security team was “only reduced” – not totally taken out – to augment the current needs of the Philippine National Police (PNP), according to a lawmaker, who also urged her to refrain from politicizing the issue.
Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua on Tuesday noted that police officers from Duterte’s security force were transferred or reassigned to other areas – that, for him, the Vice President should respect.
“First of all, we should respect the decision of the PNP because they are the ones knowledgeable on where to deploy our police officers. We should always remember that usually, our police are facing a shortage of personnel. Security was not totally removed from her,” Chua said in a press briefing at the Batasang Pambansa Complex.
“It was only reduced so that it could be used for more important agencies or assignments. So not every action should be given malice or colored with politics, especially if this was only done in line with their jobs as police officers,” he added.
According to the 2022 Commission on Audit (COA) report on the Office of the Vice President (OVP), Duterte’s Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group had 433 members.
The latest audit even explained that the 433 security and protection personnel of Duterte make up the majority of the 683 OVP staff.
Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr., who was also present in the briefing, said there were times that lawmakers’ security personnel were also pulled out due to more pressing tasks for the PNP. He said such is a reality that government officials must come to grips with.
“In addition to what Congressman Joel (said), we congressmen sometimes only have two security personnel assigned, we go around our districts, sometimes our security will be pulled out but we cannot do anything about this because there would be other things to do,” Gonzales explained.
“So we have to be understanding of that situation, though for us it happens sometimes that we have to attend to something important in far-flung barangays, we have to be there, but there are times that the personnel commander’s (would recall them), so we can do nothing about that, we have to respect that,” he added.
On Monday, Duterte released an open letter to PNP chief Gen. Rommel Marbil, calling the removal of 75 police security escorts as a “clear case of political harassment.”
Duterte also claimed that Marbil was lying when he said that the withdrawal of her police protection detail was due to the PNP being short-staffed – asserting that the removal of the police officers from her security force happened when she resigned from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Cabinet.
According to Dutert, the 75 police officers were removed from her security team last July 23 – or a day after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s third State of the Nationa Address (Sona). Marbil responded by saying that the officers assigned to Duterte were given another assignment to address personnel shortage within the police force.
Marbil also said they saw no threat against Duterte, hence the reduction. He, however, clarified that Duterte was not singled-out because other retired generals’ security were also recalled.
Diversion by Duterte?
Aside from asking Duterte not to politicize the PNP’s move, Chua also speculated that Duterte was only deflecting attention from her criticized trip to Germany while many parts of the country were ravaged by Typhoon Carina (internal name: Gaemi) and the strong southwest monsoon.
The Office of the Vice President (OVP) confirmed that Duterte flew to Germany. It admitted that the timing of Duterte’s trip was off but explained it was scheduled before the typhoon.
READ: Sara’s trip to Germany explained, draws Leni Robredo comparison
“I think there is no politics here, but maybe they are just trying to divert the issue, because remember, she addressed this concern when the issue of her making the trip to Germany in the middle of a typhoon popped out,” Chua said.
“I think they’re trying to divert the issue because this should not be gleaned from a political lens. The PNP is just doing their job, I hope we respect how they do their job,” he added.
Chua has previously criticized Duterte’s actions. Last July 15, he said the Dutertes should address their alleged links to illegal drugs instead of releasing statements to divert public attention.
READ: Imee Marcos on VP Duterte’s Germany trip: She didn’t know there was storm
Chua was referring to Vice President Duterte’s decision to skip the Sona last July 22 and appoint herself as “designated survivor.” Her controversial remarks came a day after he House dangerous drugs panel gave Chinese businessman Michael Yang a contempt citation.
Yang is the former economic adviser of Duterte’s father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Chua also pointed out that the Vice President’s announcement that her father and brothers, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte and Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte, will be running for senator in 2025 was made on the same day that House committee on human rights invited former President Duterte and Senator Ronald dela Rosa to the “drug war” probe.