Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa during a public hearing in the Senate. (File photo from BIBO NUEVA ESPAÑA / Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — Give Vice President Sara Duterte the freedom to choose who among her personal security detail should stay, Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa urged Gen. Rommel Marbil, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), on Monday.
Dela Rosa aired his appeal during the hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, which he heads.
He relayed to Marbil that Duterte had “complained” about her remaining 31-member security detail.
“[On] behalf of the vice president and [on] behalf of the Filipino people who want our vice president to be properly secured and protected, can I ask you, for the record, that with the 31 who were left, can you give our vice president the option to pick who those 31 would be?” Dela Rosa, speaking in Filipino, asked Marbil.
“Her complaint is that there were those who remained, but she doesn’t know them. She’s not comfortable,” he added.
Dela Rosa, himself a former PNP chief, pleaded to Marbil that his appeal be treated as the request of an “ordinary Filipino” who would want to ensure the safety of the vice president.
“If you are for localization and would want the police to be effective in their jobs, maybe we can deploy those from Davao. I’m just appealing to you. I’m not questioning your wisdom. Of the 31 you’ve allowed to remain, can we give our vice president the freedom to choose who among them she may retain?” deal Rosa said.
“There’s no problem if you won’t bring back the 75 you removed. That’s okay. Let’s use them for police visibility,” he added.
Following dela Rosa’s prodding, the PNP chief committed to “bring back” security personnel from Davao with whom Duterte would feel comfortable having.
“Can I get your commitment?” Dela Rosa said.
“Of course, chairperson,” Marbil replied.
Before dela Rosa made his appeal, Marbil made it clear that no political pressure led to the removal of 75 members of Duterte’s security.
He said the PNP merely did its job to rationalize the deployment of its personnel.
“We removed the security detail of so many individuals, even my classmates who are generals. It’s time that we rationalize,” Marbil said.
“As I said, we need more people on the ground. We lack people, and, to be honest, we want to deploy our people on the ground.”
Duterte earlier branded the recall of her security detail as a “clear case of political harassment.”
The country’s second top official posted a four-page letter on her Facebook page, criticizing Marbil for allegedly lying about the withdrawal of her police protection detail.
For his part, Marbil maintained that Duterte’s security team was reduced because no threat against her had been observed.