Gutierrez: VP Duterte’s reduced security still three times Robredo’s

Then Vice President Leni Robredo and her spokesperson Atty. Barry Gutierrez in Quezon City after holding a news conference when the Supreme Court ordered the release of a committee report on the initial recount of the Marcos poll protest. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO / Gabriel Pabico Lalu

MANILA, Philippines — Even after the security force detailed to Vice President Sara Duterte was reduced, she still has three times the number of personnel that former Vice President Leni Robredo had in office, lawyer Barry Gutierrez said on Tuesday.

Gutierrez, a former lawmaker who was also a spokesperson for Robredo, said in an online interview with reporters that he does not see the point of Duterte complaining about her reduced security detail.

Duterte on Monday posted an open letter to Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rommel Marbil, calling the removal of 75 police officers “political harassment.” However, Gutierrez pointed out that based on Commission on Audit reports, Duterte originally had 433 security officers, meaning that the “reduced” strength could still be over 350.

Robredo, on the other hand, had 108 in 2016, which was eventually reduced to 78.

“First of all, VP Leni started with a security detail of 108 in 2016.  That’s the highest it has reached.  Based on my understanding from articles that came out in 2022, VP Sara Duterte started with 433.  That’s more than four times what VP Leni got.  Now, that 108 was reduced to 83 in 2020 — 12 officers at 71 na enlisted,” Gutierrez said.

“At the end of her term in 2022, it was down to 78.  But now VP Sara is complaining and making a big fuss of the 75 officers being reassigned — but when you deduct that from 433, that’s still 350, right?  That’s still three times VP Leni’s biggest security detail.  But we never complained about it, because we never thought that she needed that much security,” he added.

Gutierrez also clarified that Robredo’s 78 security staffers never provided security all at the same time, as different units were deployed to allow for day-offs and other duties of the officers.

But if Duterte still has over 350 officers in her security detail, Gutierrez said he does not understand how deployment works for her office.

“The reason why there are 78 officers is because there are shifts.  But at any given time, I don’t think there were even 20 people assigned to secure her […] Usually that’s around ten or a dozen who will accompany her at any time, but definitely the entire detail does not go with her,” Gutierrez said.

“That’s why I cannot imagine how a security detail of 350 officer works, let’s say that one-third of the force is deployed to secure her at any given time, that’s over a hundred — I cannot imagine that you would have over 100 bodyguards with you, that might be more than the audience at some of your events,” he noted.

On Monday, Duterte released an open letter to PNP chief Gen. Rommel Marbil, calling the removal of the 75 police security escorts a “clear case of political harassment.”

READ: Sara Duterte cries ‘political harassment’ as PNP security detail taken away

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, noting that the security was pulled out when she resigned from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s cabinet.

Duterte made the revelation that 75 police officers were pulled from her security detail last July 23 — or a day after Marcos’ Sona.  Marbil responded by saying that the officers assigned to Duterte were given another assignment to address personnel shortage within the police force.

READ: VP Duterte: PNP pulls out 75 cops assigned for my security

Marbil also said they saw no threat against Duterte, hence the reduction.  He however clarified that Duterte was not singled out, as other retired generals’ security were also recalled.

READ: PNP: Sara Duterte not singled out in recall of 75 police details

Earlier, Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua urged Duterte to respect the PNP’s decision, noting that while Duterte’s security force was reduced, it was not entirely depleted.

Chua noted that the reduction was meant to cope with the demands of additional police personnel in different areas.

Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr., who was also present in the briefing, said that there were times that lawmakers’ security detail were also pulled out due to more pressing tasks for the police, noting that it is a reality that government officials must cope with.