Sara Duterte rebukes PNP chief over 'lies,' 'political harassment' after cop removal

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday released a scathing open letter accusing Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rommel Marbil of issuing false statements to the public about the circumstances behind the pullout of her security detail.

The letter, posted on Duterte's personal Facebook page and shared by the Office of the Vice President (OVP), also claimed "political harassment" against Duterte after she said cops recently visited her area of residence to conduct "casing" and find out where she lives.

The vice president alleged that Marbil had repeatedly misled the public in his media interviews about the withdrawal of the 75 PNP personnel previously assigned to her.

Contrary to Marbil's statement, Duterte said the OVP did not receive a request to reduce her security detail and that the PNP had unilaterally decided to withdraw the cops from their assignments.

"Hindi na kami nakipagtalo dahil ikaw naman ang batas 'di ba? Kasunod nito ay lumabas na ang Relief Order na iniutos mo. Ito ay base na rin sa dokumento ng PNP," Duterte said.

(We didn't argue anymore because you're the law, right? After this, the Relief Order you ordered came out. This is also based on the PNP document.)

The vice president also scored the PNP chief's assertion that there are no existing threats against her, saying her family's security was recently jeopardized after the release of unauthorized footage of them at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Duterte last week drew flak after a photo of her at NAIA made rounds on social media during the onslaught of Typhoon Carina. The OVP later confirmed Duterte's personal trip was approved by the Office of the President but acknowledged its timing was "unfortunate."

"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," Duterte said.

(Wasn't there a malicious release of video footage when I was at NAIA? Taken in a place where only airport employees and select individuals are allowed to be?)

"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," the vice president added.

("It's okay if it's just me, but my spouse and minor children were also captured and made public in that video, which posed a significant threat to their security.")

Duterte also criticized Marbil's justification of the relief order for "police visibility" and said 35 of 75 cops pulled out were being transferred to the National Capital Region from Mindanao. "Para bang hindi kulang ang pulis sa Mindanao (As if there is no shortage of police in Mindanao)."

The cops removed from her detail were also long-time personnel who had her "trust and confidence" as they were either previously assigned to her since 2007, or her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, during his presidency.

"It was obviously a targeted list and a targeted maneuver, nothing else," the vice president said.

'Political harassment'

The vice president also said cops had recently visited the area of her residence to conduct "casing" and find out the exact address of the house she is renting. An official of the homeowners association there "stopped" the police, Sara said.

"Ano ba ang ibig sabihin ng "threat" sa iyo? Ang banta ba ay maaari lamang magmula sa mga external elements?" she added.

(What does 'threat' mean to you? Can a threat only come from external elements?)

"Hindi na ba 'threat' kung ang harassment ay nanggagaling mismo sa mga tauhan ng gobyerno?" the vice president said.

(Is it no longer a 'threat' if the harassment is coming from government personnel?)

Sara said she would "return" the remaining 45 PNP personnel assigned to her to the national police force.

The vice president also said the security pullout is a political maneuver given its timing — right after her resignation from Cabinet, her remarks about skipping the State of the Nation Address (SONA) and the "release of the cocaine video."

The PNP last week dismissed as "fake" the viral video allegedly showing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. inhaling white powder.

The clip was first shown during a gathering of Hakbang ng Maisug members in Los Angeles on July 22, one the day Marcos delivered his third SONA. The Maisug group is a vocal supporter of former president Duterte and conducts prayer rallies to criticize Marcos.

"Let us spare our people from all the lies. Let us call it what it is - a clear case of political harassment," Sara said.

During her trip to Munich, Germany, Sara met with members of Hakbang ng Maisug International Germany.