Sara fumes over recall of 75 PNP bodyguards

Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday decried as political harassment the pullout of 75 police officers assigned to her security detail, saying the action of Philippine National Police (PNP) chief PGen. Rommel Marbil has put her and her family in danger.

In an open letter to Marbil, Duterte noted that the recall of some of her security detail came after she resigned as secretary of the Department of Education and after she named herself the “designated survivor” during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s third State of the Nation Address (SoNA).

Likewise, she noted the reassignment followed the release of a video — that was proven to be a deepfake — that showed someone who supposedly looked like the President using illegal drugs.

An American political concept, the designated survivor ensures the line of succession if a catastrophic event resulting in the loss of the top-tier government officials occurs during the US president’s State of the Union address.

“The relief of the PNP personnel came after I resigned from the DepEd, after I compared the SoNA to a a catastrophic event, and after the cocaine video came out,” Duterte said in Filipino.

She averred that Marbil lied in justifying the recall of the police officers protecting her — that they were needed to augment the policemen to population ratio in the National Capital Region (NCR).

“Let us spare our people all the lies. Let us call it what it is — a clear case of political harassment,” the Vice President said, adding that it was obvious the intent was to remove some of her most trusted personnel.

“It’s clear, more so since the relief order covered those PNP personnel who had my trust and confidence because, if they were not the security of President Rodrigo Duterte since 2016, they had been my security since 2007,” she said.

Targeted list

“It was obviously a targeted list and a targeted maneuver — nothing else,” she said, confirming the relief as of 22 July as ordered by Marbil himself.

She, however, said she would not allow the order to affect her work as Vice President.

She also denied the PNP had requested the pullout of the 75 personnel so they could be assigned to the metro.

“No request happened. The PSPG (Police Security Protection Group) merely told the OVP that they would take back the personnel. We did not contest it (order) anymore since he (Marbil) is the law, right? Your relief order came and this was based on PNP documents,” she said.

She pointed out the reduction in the number of the security personnel assigned to her put her family at risk.

“What does ‘threat’ mean to you?” she asked, referring to Marbil. “Does the threat come only from external elements? Is it not a threat if the harassment comes from no less than government personnel?”

“One more thing, you said there’s no threat but that we may request additional personnel. What’s the real score? If you do not see a threat against me, why did you even leave 45 cops whom you personally chose?” she asked.

“Remember, when it comes to the security of my family, I will be the one to say who are deserving, not you. You’re just the law, you’re not God,” she said.

VP’s security assured

Meanwhile, Marbil assured that the PNP continues to provide top-tier security to Vice President Duterte.

He noted that Duterte retained the most extensive security detail compared to her predecessors, despite the transfer of the 75 officers to other units.

In a report, PSPG Director BGen. William Segun said the 75 PSPG officers were redeployed to the National Capital Region Police Office, while 31 continued to be assigned to the Vice President.

Police efficiency

“The adjustments in security personnel reflect our commitment to adapting to current security needs while adhering to directives that enhance overall police efficiency,” Marbil said.

He said that local police augment Duterte’s security detail whenever she goes to the provinces.

Marbil on Sunday cited the need to rationalize the deployment of the PSPG personnel, prioritizing the protection of individuals with high-security threats.

In an interview, Marbil emphasized the need to achieve the ideal police-to-population ratio of 1:500, unlike the current 1:2,000, to ensure better coverage for the broader population.

“Our directive is to ensure that our limited security resources are allocated effectively, focusing on individuals who genuinely face significant security threats,” he said.

“This way, we can enhance our protective services for those in need while optimizing overall public safety in our communities,” he added.

Marbil highlighted the disparity in the current deployment ratio, indicating that for every PSPG officer assigned to an individual, hundreds if not thousands are deprived of essential police services.

The police directive, he said, was based on the PNP’s comprehensive threat assessment, which identified key factors such as recent incidents of threats or attacks, role in government or society, and intelligence reports indicating potential risks.

“Reducing the unnecessary deployment of security personnel to low-threat individuals will allow us to support field operations more effectively and address other critical policing needs,” he said.