'Most secured VP in history': Lawmaker says 31 cops still assigned to Sara Duterte

MANILA, Philippines — A House lawmaker on Tuesday cut through the furor of two senators calling for volunteers to be Vice President Sara Duterte's security detail, emphasizing that Duterte was not stripped of all her security personnel when the Philippine National Police redeployed cops previously assigned to her.

Rep. Joel Chua (Manila, 3rd District) said in a press conference that 31 personnel remain assigned to Duterte’s security detail after 75 PNP personnel were redeployed to the National Capital Region Police Office to beef up the number of cops in Metro Manila. 

This was the same figure provided by PNP chief Gen. Rommel Marbil last week when he explained that seven officers and 24 non-commissioned officers remain assigned to the Office of the Vice President.

Chua said that Duterte even began with a 400-strong security detail.

"This makes her the most secured [vice president] in history," he added.

This comes after Duterte released a scathing open letter on Monday addressed to PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil, whom she only addressed as "Rommel."

In her letter, Duterte said the pullout of the 75 PNP personnel was a form of "political harassment" and a "targeted maneuver" as the cops removed from her detail were also long-time personnel who had her "trust and confidence."

Duterte also accused Marbil of lying about reaching out to the Office of the Vice President prior to issuing a relief order. 

For Chua, the reassignment of the 75 police does not have the markings of a political move and may be a way for Duterte to "divert" attention from her recent personal trip to Germany during the onslaught of Typhoon Carina.

"Not everything should be colored with politics. The PNP is doing their job," the lawmaker said, adding that it would have been questionable if all of Duterte's security were "totally removed."

Sen. Imee Marcos on Tuesday called to reinstate the 75 personnel to Duterte's security detail owing to her position as the second highest elected official in the country.

Marcos — who helped bankroll former President Rodrigo Duterte's campaign for the presidency in 2016 — said Duterte is "like her father" and "a staunch defender of law and order, hence topping the CPP-NPA's order of battle."

Marcos also took a swipe at the PNP chief: "At sino naman yang Rommel Marbil? Ni hindi ko nga yan kilala (And who is this Rommel Marbil? I don't know him)."

COA: 433 assigned to protect Sara Duterte

In 2022, 433 people served in Duterte’s security and protection group, a 455% increase from the 78 detailed military personnel assigned to Vice President Leni Robredo during her last full term in 2021, according to the Commission on Audit (COA)'s report.

The COA’s 2022 audit report shows that 63% of the OVP's 683 personnel were part of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG).

That means six out of ten of all OVP staff comprised the VPSG.

Citing the same COA report, Rep. Rida Robes (San Jose del Monte) said in a statement on Monday that Duterte's "childish tantrums" over the recall of the cops assigned to her were used to mask the large number of security personnel that she has employed.

“The truth is her security contingent dwarfs the number of policemen assigned to cities. The COA says so in its latter report,” the lawmaker added.

“Some VPs had a protective detail that can fit in (a) van. Hers would need three Airbus planes filled to the rafters,” Robes said.

Barry Gutierrez, spokesperson of former Vice President Leni Robredo, confirmed that Duterte's security detail during her first year of office was four times the size of Robredo's personnel in 2016. 

Gutierrez said: "433 less 75 is still over 350 soldiers. In contrast, VP Leni's detail was reduced to just 83 by 2020. We never made an issue of it. No 'open letter.' No tantrum. No drama."

Philstar.com and other media have repeatedly reached out to the OVP to ask for Duterte's latest number of assigned security personnel. We will update this story with their response.

In a statement to reporters on Tuesday, Maj. Gen. Nelson Morales, chief of the Presidential Security Command (PSC), said the PSC now includes the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG) as a subunit.

Morales assured that the PSC is committed to accomplishing its "new task" of securing the vice president. 

Calls to be unpaid security of Sara Duterte

On Monday, Sens. Ronald dela Rosa and Robin Padilla called on civilians to volunteer to be Duterte's new security detail in separate posts on social media.

Dela Rosa urged former PNP and Armed Forces of the Philippines personnel "good at unarmed combat" to be Duterte's unpaid security detail, while Padilla called on former rebels to volunteer for the same.

In a new statement on Tuesday, Duterte thanked both senators and Sen. Bong Go on Tuesday for "heeding the call" of Dela Rosa to voluntarily provide security services to her. 

Addressing the public, the vice president said while she did not need monetary contributions for her security, she asked for others to safeguard the security of her family.