SENATOR Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa appealed to Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Rommel Francisco Marbil to give Vice President Sara Duterte the freedom to have her own Presidential Security Group (PSG) and reinstate the police personnel coming from Davao as part of her security detail.
This stemmed after the PNP on July 23 removed 75 of its personnel from her security detail stating that they lacked personnel to do ground duties, forcing others to work beyond given hours.
Earlier this week, the senator expressed her concern to Duterte, suggesting that she needs to be protected against threats particularly those from the New People’s Army (NPA), and that the government must not play fast and loose as she has been the number one target of the communist rebels.
“Pwede bang bigyan mo siya ng laya na pumili? Yung tinanggal mo at dinala mo sa Region 4 na taga-Davao, baka pwedeng 'yun ang ilagay mo para may peace of mind siya. This is my personal appeal to you being a Filipino, kasi ayaw ko talagang may mangyari sa ating pangalawang pangulo. Kapag 'yan ay na-ambush ng NPA at nagsipagtakbuhan 'yung mga security niya, nakakahiya tayo. Pero kung ibalik mo 'yung taga-Davao, makipagpatayan ‘yan para sa kanya,” Dela Rosa said in his appeal.
(Can you give her the freedom to choose? The one you removed and transferred to Region 4 who are from Davao, maybe you can bring them back to give her peace of mind. This is my personal appeal to you being a Filipino, because I really don't want anything to happen to our second president. When she is ambushed by the NPA and her security guards run away, we will be ashamed. But if you reinstate her security detail who are from Davao, they will fight until death for her).
On July 29, Dela Rosa was looking for volunteers to collaborate and create a new security team for Duterte, asking them to step up and protect the female leader even without a salary.
“Attention former PNP/AFP personnel who are good at unarmed combat & volunteering to provide security & protection to VP Inday Sara [please] sound off! Bayanihan lang walang sweldo,” the senator penned on his official Facebook page.
Following the PNP chief’s order, Duterte released an open letter to Marbil on Facebook, saying that she has no issue with the pullout of her security forces; however, she called the move as “political harassment”.
“I repeat, I have no problem with the recall of PNP personnel as the security team of the Office of the Vice President (OVP). I can work without security. But I have a problem with the lies being told to the public – especially when these lies are coming from the top police officers themselves,” Duterte said in Filipino in an open letter. DEF