AFP dedicated 400 personnel for VP Sara security — spox

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has dedicated over 400 personnel for the security of Vice President Sara Duterte, its spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla said Tuesday.

“Around 400 plus pa yung tira (are left) in terms of AFP personnel,” Padilla told reporters at a press conference.

She added that since the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSG) has been placed under the Presidential Security Command (PSC), the deployment would depend on Security Task Action Group (STAG) commanders.

“Every STAG commander will lay down their cards on their requirements, personnel-wise, augmentation-wise. And because it's under PSC now nagva-vary na siya per the level of engagement,” Padilla said.

“Yung 400 was from VPSG but under na kasi ngayon siya ng PSC so that 400 was dedicated for the Vice President. Marami kasi yan and there are security entitlements for them. So it can be area security. Meron tayong [we have] close-in security. So it depends din for every engagement,” she added.

For Padilla, the security for Duterte is enough even after the Philippine National Police (PNP) has pulled out some of its personnel. Padilla said the AFP can always augment.

“Suffice to say, that would be enough because if need be for example there will be big engagements that are involved let's say a rally, nagre-request lang din sila. And kung hindi rin kayang suportahan ng PSC for a rally, we usually do augmentation,” Padilla said.

(They just make a request. And if the PSC cannot support the security requirement, we usually do augmentation.”

PNP chief Police General Rommel Marbil earlier said 75 cops were removed from Duterte’s security detail as their organization arranged their deployment.

According to him, Duterte has remaining 31 cops in her security detail, aside from the 358 AFP personnel.

Based on the assessment of the Presidential Security Command, Marbil said they do not see any threats against Duterte. Marbil also stressed that there was no political pressure regarding the move.

Duterte had called the reduction of police personnel in her security details as a case of political harassment, which Marbil denied.

“Let us spare our people from all the lies. Let us call it what it is — a clear case of political harassment,” she said.

She pointed out that the included in the relief order were the PNP personnel who have her "trust and confidence" because some of them are in the security of former President Rodrigo Duterte since 2016, and others have been in her own security since 2007.

“It was obviously a targeted list and a targeted maneuver — nothing else,” she added. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News