Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Monday said Vice President Sara Duterte initially wanted what he described as a “high drama” arrest, claiming she preferred to be detained and shown in handcuffs despite police efforts to accord her courtesies because of her position.

“Gusto niya kasi kulong kaagad eh, gusto niya high drama na ikukulong siya rito, gusto niya na ipakita na nakaposas siya. Sabi namin Vice President ka and according to Gen. Morico he accorded all the respect naman. You can stay here, we will provide quarters for you until we bring you to court and then nawala yung communications and then at 1 a.m. sabi nila hindi na lang, didiretso na lang kami sa court sa QC,” Remulla said during a news conference at Camp Crame.

He was joined by Philippine National Police chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief Maj. Gen. Robert Alexander Morico II.

Remulla said authorities made clear to Duterte that she would not be jailed or handcuffed and would instead be brought to court the following day if she chose to report to Camp Crame.

“We do not know what was on her state of mind. We just made it clear that she will be accorded all the respect here, that she will not be jailed, she will not be handcuffed, that she will be presented to court the next day if she decided to come here,” Remulla said.

He said Duterte’s camp eventually decided to proceed directly to the Quezon City Regional Trial Court.

“Vice President siya eh, second highest elected officer in the country. Hindi naman dapat na ina-accost siya di ba? And it was a bailable crime so we accorded her all the respect and courtesy,” Remulla added.

Remulla also rejected Duterte’s allegation that she was harassed during the service of the arrest warrant.

“As you can see in the service of the warrants there was no SWAT, there was no armed component, the women as you can see are all unarmed,” he said.

He challenged Duterte’s camp to release closed-circuit television footage showing any alleged harassment.

“We dare them to present any CCTVs that they have in their office and their residence of the harassment that went on in the service of the warrant,” Remulla said.

Morico said the CIDG received the warrant of arrest against Duterte at 12:45 p.m. on 4 September.

He said members of the CIDG Women and Children Protection Unit immediately proceeded to Duterte’s office at Cyber Gate Plaza in Mandaluyong City to formally inform her of the warrant.

The CIDG also coordinated with the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group because of Duterte’s security arrangements as the country’s second-highest elected official.

Morico said Duterte’s security team initially informed police that she would appear at Camp Crame on Friday but did not intend to post bail and instead wanted to be detained.

“I was informed by the VPSPG that she doesn’t want to post bail, she wanted to be incarcerated,” Morico said.

He said the CIDG refused to place Duterte in its regular detention facility because it housed high-risk detainees and lacked adequate facilities for women.

Instead, authorities prepared a conference room for her and discussed logistical arrangements, including a folding bed and meals.

Morico said police waited until around 1 a.m., but Duterte did not arrive.

Authorities were later informed that Duterte would instead proceed directly to the Quezon City RTC to post bail.

Morico said he then dispatched another team to Duterte’s residence in San Juan to escort her.

“No need for any other armed police unit because she has her own security detail coming from the VPSPG,” he said.

He stressed that the officers sent to Duterte’s residence were all unarmed policewomen led by a female senior officer.