Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla has dismissed allegations of intimidation, surveillance, and physical threats raised by Vice President Sara Duterte, emphasizing the massive security team assigned to protect her.
Speaking at a news conference at Camp Crame in Quezon City, Remulla cast doubt on the assertions that the Vice President is being subjected to state-sponsored monitoring or safety risks.
He emphasized that her current protective complement remains exceptionally large, stating:
“She has 400 security agents, that’s more than the President has at any given time.”
“That’s 400 right, so we are sure that she will be secure all the time… we are confident that nothing would happen to her,” Remulla added.
The Interior chief issued the remarks in response to claims made by Duterte while posting bail for grave threats charges at a Quezon City court, where she expressed distrust toward law enforcement and judicial authorities.
Rebutting accusations of aggressive police conduct, Remulla explained that the execution of the arrest warrant was strictly documented and executed by an initial contingent of unarmed female officers sent to her office and residence:
“As you can see in the service of the warrants there was no SWAT, there was no armed component, the women as you can see are all unarmed. They were duly accepted into the residence and into the office. So any thoughts of harassment during the service is totally untrue.”
“We have videos of showing our precise actions. We dare them to present any CCTVs that they have in their office and their residence of the harassment that went on in the service of the warrant. The truth always will bear out,” he stressed.