Duterte: New PSG commander will have hands full

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said the Presidential Security Group will be facing challenges because of his work.

“In the 9 months that I have been in office, I have pursued measures that affected many personalities,” he said during the PSG Change of Command ceremony. “While these have enabled me to help our people, these actions also make me many enemies.”

“There are those who are upset by the administration’s reforms. There are those whose lives have been affected by the people’s war against crime, corruption and the illegal drugs,” he said.

“These are the people who do not wish to see me or the Philippines succeed,” Duterte said.

“The incumbent PSG commander, Col. Lope Dagoy, will have his hands full,” he said. “I am confident his outstanding credentials and considerable experience will enable him to lead the PSG effectively.”

READ: Duterte leads PSG turnover to new commander

Dagoy replaced BGen. Rolando Joselito Bautista who has been assigned to head the army’s 1st Infantry Division in Pagadian City.

At the start of his speech, Duterte mentioned the eight PSG members who were wounded in an ambush in Marawi last year.

“Your government will ensure that your needs are taken care of as you rest and recover from your injuries,” the President said.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and newly-appointed Presidential Security Group (PSG) Commander Colonel Lope Dagoy witness the program proper during the Change of Command Ceremony at the PSG Compound in Malacañang Park on March 23, 2017. ROLANDO MAILO/ Presidential Photo

“If this incident tells you anything, it is that the risk and danger of being a member of a presidential security group are all too real,” he said.

“I stand confident, assured knowing that the PSD will have my back as I and the rest of the government pursue the important task of bringing prosperity, order and security to our country,” Duterte said.

Meanwhile, Dagoy said the PSG is facing numerous challenges during these “turbulent times.”

“The threats to the popularity of the President largely brought about by the initial successes of his campaign against drugs and narcopolitics, criminality and corruption in the government bureaucracy is a reality that this command will boldly confront and address,” he said.