Vice President Sara Duterte felt threatened by the release last week of a security footage of her and her minor children while at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 en route to Germany.
Wearing a hoodie jacket, Vice President Sara Duterte leaves for Munich, Germany with her family at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on July 24, 2024. (Photo from Ariel Fernandez/MANILA BULLETIN)
In an open letter to Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil on Monday, July 29, the official questioned if the release of the video was not a threat to her security and that of her family.
This was a response to an interview by the PNP chief wherein he justified the pull out of 75 PNP personnel from her security detail because there was no threat against the Vice President.
“Ano ba ang ibig sabihin ng ‘threat’ sa iyo? Ang banta ba ay maaari lamang magmula sa mga external elements? Hindi na ba ‘threat’ kung ang harassment ay nanggagaling mismo sa mga tauhan ng gobyerno (What does threat mean to you? Does threat have to come from external elements? Isn’t it threat when the harassment is coming from government personnel)?,” she asked.
The Vice President claimed there were at least two instances where her’s and her family’s security were threatened.
“Hindi ba’t mayroong malisyosong pagpapalabas ng video footage noong ako’y nasa NAIA? Kuha sa isang lugar kung saan pawang mga empleyado lamang ng paliparan at piling mga tao ang maaring nandoon (Wasn’t there malice in releasing a video footage when I was in NAIA? In a place where only airport employees and selected people were there),” she questioned.
“Hindi na baleng ako, ngunit nakuha at naisapubliko rin sa naturang video ang aking asawa at mga menor de edad na anak na naging isang malaking banta sa kanilang seguridad (Never mind me, but my husband and minor children were seen also in the said video, which was a big threat to their security).”
The official also claimed that PNP operatives also went to the village where she was renting a house to do “casing.”
“Pilit pang inaalam kung nasaan mismo ang bahay na inuupahan ko. Bahay kung saan rin nakatira ang aking mga anak (They were insisting to know the house I was renting. House where also my children reside),” she said.
“Kung hindi ito napigilan ng mga nagmagandang loob na opisyal ng homeowners’ association, hindi ko na alam kung ano pa ang maaring mangyari (If this wasn’t stopped by the kindhearted official of the homeowners’ association, I don’t know what would’ve happened),” Duterte added.
Addressing Marbil, the official also questioned the need for 45 PNP personnel handpicked by Marbil if there was no threat against her at all.
“Tandaan mo, pagdating sa seguridad ng aking pamilya, ako ang magsasabi kung sino ang karapat-dapat, hindi ikaw. Batas ka lang, hindi ka Diyos (Remember, when it comes to the security of my family, I will say what’s right, not you. You are just the law, you are not God),” she said.
Marbil earlier justified the recall of 75 PNP personnel from Duterte’s security detail because there was no known threat against her. He also said that more police have to be deployed and reassigned to the National Capital Region (NCR).