28 Nobyembre,2024 Huwebes
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VP security to be replaced
By Nidz Godino
“There were rumors that security for the Vice President will be pulled out by AFP. ..that is not true. ..so, story here is that we received subpoena from PNP calling members of VPSPG for investigation,” Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said. government is replacing head and members of Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG) with new contingent from AFP and Philippine National Police (PNP).
In speech during leadership summit at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Brawner said they received subpoena from PNP called for members of VPSPG to be investigated due to commotion at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Quezon City over the weekend.
Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, claims there are threats to her life, said she would refuse the new security contingent and would instead rely on her own team, being put together by friends.
Brawner clarified he is not taking over VPSPG but is replacing personnel including its commander, Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, because of ongoing police and legislative investigations.
“There is investigation..so we followed subpoena and what we will do is we are just going to temporarily replace them with contingent from PNP and from AFP,” he explained.
Brawner told reporters not yet clear if all VPSPG personnel will be replaced, since all are still under study.
Brawner also gave assurance that military will continue to protect and will not allow any harm to come to Vice President Sara Duterte.
“We will not leave her because security of Vice President is still of primary concern to us…because if there’s untoward incident, let’s say something happens to the Vice President, this may be start of disorder….because according to what she said, she will take actions against the President, the First Lady and the Speaker of the House, we don’t want that to happen…what if there are some groups there that may do something to the Vice President just to blame it on another and then that could cause chaos…so we will not allow that, we will not allow that….so we will still protect our Vice President” ,Brawner said.
PNP public information officer Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said 25 officers from Police Security and Protection Group were assigned to Duterte’s security detail on Tuesday.
Fajardo said reassignment of police officers to VPSPG was upon request of AFP in anticipation of possible recall of military personnel from Duterte’s security detail.
PNP earlier recalled 75 police officers from Duterte’s security detail. Thirty-one other PNP personnel were retained but they were under-utilized, Fajardo said.
“This is again prerogative of our Vice President, that’s why they were recalled since they are under-utilized,” she said.
On Duterte’s claim she has been receiving threats to her security, Fajardo said they have no information of any threat to the Vice President’s life.
Vice President Duterte’s alleged assassination plot against President Marcos, First Lady Liza Marcos and Speaker Martin Romualdez may be considered as terrorism under Anti-Terror Law, according to Department of Justice (DOJ).
Citing Section 4 of Republic Act 11479 or Anti-Terror law, Justice Undersecretary Jesse Andres said punishable acts include engaging in acts intended to cause death or serious bodily injury to any person or endangers person’s life.
“If you engage in acts intended to harm or cause death of other individuals, that’s part of terrorism. Especially if the purpose is to intimidate and create an atmosphere of fear,” Andres said.
He pointed out that threat to the President’s life is national security matter, considering that the one accused of plotting against him is the Vice President.
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) earlier served subpoena to Duterte to explain her declaration of allegedly hiring hitman to kill Marcos if alleged plot against her succeeds.
In subpoena, NBI noted Duterte’s “possible violation” of Republic Act 11479 or “Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020,” enacted when her father Rodrigo Duterte was president.
Meanwhile, Brawner is confident that despite what is currently happening in the country, he “is not worried at all” because he is sure that “ whole Armed Forces of the Philippines will remain professional and competent.”
“So there is no need for loyalty check because our soldiers and officers are loyal to their oath…when we entered service, we took vow, we took an oath and, in that oath, we said we will always defend Constitution of the Philippines, defend our country and defend the duly constituted authorities. ..so, in that aspect, I am not worried,” he said.
The AFP chief also stressed that military will not heed calls for it to intervene in what former president Duterte described as “ fractured government that only military can fix.”
“But that is not our job…our job is to protect Republic of the Philippines, protect its people, defend our territory and defend our sovereignty and our sovereign rights,” he emphasized.
He said past cases of military adventurism will no longer succeed today and AFP “will not take law into our own hands. We will remain professional. If they want change, we have process for that under our democracy. So, let’s allow that to happen.”
Brawner added that while each and everyone may have their own political beliefs that are respected, for soldiers such beliefs and opinions cannot be openly declared or discussed.
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