Marbil on filing raps vs Sara Duterte: People must not say PNP is afraid

Vice President Sara Duterte and PNP Chief Rommel Rommel Francisco Marbil

MANILA, Philippines — The complaints filed against Vice President Sara Duterte and others are not “politically-motivated” but an exercise of the “constitutional mandate to uphold the rule of law” of the police force.

This is according to Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rommel Marbil in a statement on Sunday.

“The PNP remains committed to its mandate to enforce the law without fear or favor,” he said.

“The filing of cases against any individual, regardless of status or political affiliation, is a reflection of our duty to the Constitution and the Filipino people,” he noted.

He added that the PNP’s inaction on the matter “could lead to public distrust.”

READ: QCPD files assault complaint vs Sara Duterte, OVP security chief

“If we do not file cases against those accused, what will people say? Takot ang pulis. Pangmahirap lang ang pangil ng batas” Marbil explained.

(The police are afraid and the law only applies to the poor.)

“We cannot allow such perceptions to take root. Our duty is to apply the law to everyone, regardless of their standing, because justice is not selective,” he said.

He said the PNP refused “to let the history repeat itself,” citing flak it drew over the previous administration’s anti-drug campaign where most victims “were perceived to be predominantly from the poor.”

In line with this, Marbil told the public that PNP will safeguard their rights.

“Our laws must be observed, obeyed and upheld. This is our sworn duty as law enforcers. It is not about politics, but about ensuring accountability under the legal framework we all agreed to as a democratic society,” he said.

“It is this principle that guides us in our work. As law enforcers, we cannot choose whom to apply the law to or make exceptions based on affiliations or relationships,” he pointed out.

“Our mandate is to protect and serve all people equally, without prejudice or discrimination,” he stressed.

Last week, the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) filed a direct assault complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte and the head of her security group, Col. Raymund Lachica, before the City Prosecutor’s Office.

QCPD’s complaint stemmed from an incident during the transfer of Office of the Vice President (OVP) chief of staff Zuleika Lopez from the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) to the St. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC) in Quezon City on Nov. 23.

The police alleged that Duterte and Lachica committed violations of the Revised Penal Code in relation to direct assault, disobedience to authority and grave coercions.

Earlier, PNP disclosed that video evidence reportedly showed Lachica physically assaulting QCPD Medical and Dental Unit chief Lt. Col. Jason Villamor — the complainant in the case.

The police previously said this incident “could lead to a direct assault complaint.”