Duterte Slams PNP Chief for "Political Harassment" Over Security Detail Pullout

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MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday labeled the withdrawal of 75 police escorts from her 400-strong security team as a “clear case of political harassment,” accusing the Philippine National Police chief of spreading “lies” about the personnel movement.


“Let us spare our people from all the lies. Let us call it what it is—a clear case of political harassment,” Duterte said in a scathing open letter addressed to PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil, whom she referred to simply as “Rommel.”


The letter was posted on the official Facebook page of the Vice President, who is currently in Germany with her family for a private engagement.


In the four-page letter written mostly in Filipino, Duterte reiterated that she could still perform her duties without the security provided by the PNP but expressed her frustration over the “lies being spread to our people.”


Among the five “lies” she accused Marbil of telling was the PNP chief’s statement that the police organization “[didn’t] see any threat against the Vice President.”


Airport Footage

Duterte pointed to the “malicious release” of video footage showing her with family members at Ninoy Aquino International Airport as they were leaving for Germany on July 24.


The trip drew criticism as it occurred during severe flooding in Metro Manila and other provinces due to Supertyphoon Carina (international name: Gaemi) and the southwest monsoon.


“It doesn’t matter if it was just me, but the video also captured and made public [the location] of my husband and my children, who are all minors, threatening their security,” Duterte said.


Duterte also revealed that PNP operatives conducted a “casing” operation near her residence, allegedly to determine her exact address.

“If this wasn’t prevented by the officers of the homeowners’ association, I don’t know what else could have happened,” she said.


“What exactly does ‘threat’ mean to you? Are threats just coming from external elements? Isn’t it a ‘threat’ when the harassment comes from government officers themselves?” Duterte questioned.


She noted that the officers removed from her security detail were those she trusted the most, having protected her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, since 2016, or her since 2007.


“Remember, when it comes to my family’s security, I am the one who can say who is deserving, not you. You’re just the law; you’re not God,” she told the PNP chief.


Marbil, who attended a House inquiry on Monday, avoided reporters who tried to ask him about Duterte’s letter.


The PNP also did not immediately comment on the matter.


433 Escorts

Last week, Marbil confirmed that 75 police escorts assigned to Duterte were transferred to increase police visibility in Metro Manila.


Since assuming office in 2022, Duterte has been under the protection of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group under the Presidential Security Command, which is mostly manned by the military and supplemented by a small PNP contingent. Based on a 2022 state audit report, Duterte had 433 security escorts.


Also on Monday, Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, a former PNP chief, posted a call on his personal Facebook page asking former police and military personnel to volunteer “to provide security and protection” to the Vice President. 

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