PNP: Escorts of 17 other government officials recalled

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte was not the only government official who lost security detail from the Philippine National Police.

PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil said yesterday 17 national and local officials also had their police security recalled.

They are among the 155 personalities who had police officers on detail, Marbil said.

The officials are a Cabinet undersecretary, a governor, three bureau heads, six mayors and six barangay captains.

Apart from the 17, the PNP also recalled the security details of 27 former government officials, seven former congressmen, 57 retired police generals, 14 resident aliens and 16 local residents.

Marbil said a total of 373 officers from the Police Security and Protection Group, including personnel previously assigned to Duterte, were recalled from various government officials and the private sector.

They were among the 647 PNP personnel reassigned to the National Capital Region Police Office to beef up police presence in Metro Manila.

He released the data to counter speculations that Duterte is being singled out in the recall process.

Marbil said a total of 298 PSPG personnel had already been recalled and redeployed to other police units several weeks before the 75 police officers were removed from the Vice President’s security contingent.

“These officers are now serving local communities, ensuring that police resources are maximized for the broader public,” Marbil stated.

Marbil stressed it is better for police officers to serve the general public than certain individuals as they earn around P12.5 million in monthly salaries, which are paid by people’s taxes.

He emphasized the importance of optimizing police services by rationalizing the deployment of PSPG personnel, prioritizing individuals with high security threats so that they can achieve the ideal police-to-population ratio of 1:500 from the current 1:2,000.

“The PNP’s decision to rationalize the deployment of our officers is part of our commitment to better serve the people,” he said.

“This is to ensure that our police force is deployed where most needed, enhancing our public order and safety efforts,” Marbil said.