Philippine National Police chief, Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil, on Monday denied that “political pressure” caused the controversial reduction of police security detail for Vice President Sara Duterte.

During a Senate inquiry on Monday, Marbil said the PNP’s move was just rationalized deployment.

“There's no political pressure. We are trying to rationalize the deployment of our PNP and… we want to make sure that the low point criteria, high-security threat and medium security threat and no threat at all,” he said. 

Marbil said Duterte was not the only government official who has been reduced to security detail. 

“We want to make sure that there is already a perceived threat and there's a difference between a perceived threat and an actual threat… and we have to change our policies regarding the deployment of people. Because, as I said, we need more people on the ground,” he said. 

He lamented the lack of cops on the ground to operate police procedures.

“To be honest sir, we really want to place down our people. We really lack people on the ground and we have filed many cases against our moonlighting police—it all started in Alabang when we saw two people, two SAF (Special Action Force) personnel being used as security,” he said. 

“And because of that, why is this happening? We have to rationalize our people, we have to account for them, we want to make sure, and with regard to the others, we also removed security details from them because we don't see any threat to other people,” he added. 

Marbil maintained that deploying a security detail to personalities should have compelling reasons like a threat to life. 

Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa asked Marbil if the PNP had monitored threats against Duterte. 

Marbil responded. “Sir, he has no threat. We have not seen anything. He is being loved by our people.”

He noted that Duterte’s security details are under the jurisdiction of the Presidential Service Command. 

He said Duterte still has 31 detailed security personnel from the PNP.