A total of 31 policemen are still assigned as security personnel of Vice President Sara Duterte amid reports that the Philippine National Police (PNP) pulled out all the 75 policemen earlier assigned to secure her.
PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil said the 31 remaining policemen detailed as Duterte’s security personnel are composed of seven officers and 24 non-commissioned officers.
Marbil also clarified that the decision for the pull out of the policemen detailed as security personnel for the Office of the Vice President was not done unilaterally as consultations were made before the decision was reached.
“We requested the Office of the Vice President for a possible pull out of our 75 personnel because we really need our personnel on the ground in the National Capital Region (NCR), and they agreed,” said Marbil.
Despite the pull out, Marbil committed to further assist in securing the Vice President, especially in any activity that she would attend in the provinces.
“It (pull out) will not change the security because everytime she goes to any region, the police serve as augmentation. And we will comply with any of their requests for augmentation,” said Marbil.
Duterrte earlier confirmed receiving a letter from Marbil with regard to the pull out of 75 policemen assigned as security personnel in her office—which was confirmed by Marbil but emphasized that the decision was due to the necessity of deploying more cops on the ground.
Marbil also cited as the reason the protocol that it should be the Presidential Security Group, composed mostly of military personnel, securing the Vice President and not the PNP’s Police Security and Protection Group.