By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan
MANILA – Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Monday dismissed Vice President Sara Duterte’s claims of state harassment as pure drama after the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) ordered her arrest on charges of grave threats.
In a press briefing in Camp Crame, Remulla said that during a communication between Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) Director Maj. Gen. Robert Alexander Morico II and a certain Major Nabua of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group regarding the service of the arrest warrant, it was allegedly relayed that Duterte wanted to be handcuffed and placed behind bars in a prison cell.
“Ang drama nila gusto nila makulong siya, at naka-handcuff siya. The high drama na dapat makulong siya agad dito. (Their drama is that they want her behind bars and in handcuffs. The high drama is that she should be jailed here (Camp Crame) right away,” Remulla said.
“Hindi kami pumayag (We did not agree). We wanted to go according to the rules of law and to the rules of court and we accorded her the respect that her position deserves,” he added.
Remulla said only unarmed female CIDG members served the arrest warrant against Duterte at the Office of the Vice President in Mandaluyong City and her residence in San Juan City, dismissing claims that there were members of the Special Weapons and Tactics or armed personnel during the procedure.
“She said that she was harassed, that she did not trust the PNP or the DILG. 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 are totally untrue,” he told reporters as they presented a video during the service of the warrant.
Remulla challenged Duterte’s camp to release any CCTV footage that would show alleged harassment by police.
“We dare them to present any CCTVs that they have in their office, in their residence, of harassment that went on in the service of the warrant,” he said.
“The truth always will bear out,” he added.
He said Duterte was treated according to existing PNP rules and court procedures because she ultimately surrendered herself to authorities.
“According to the Rules of Court, if you surrender yourself, all you have to do [is] four photos of yourself and that will suffice for the booking procedure,” Remulla said.
He dismissed accusations of either excessive treatment or special treatment.
The Quezon City RTC on Sept. 4 issued an arrest warrant against Duterte for three counts of grave threats. It set the bail for the Vice President at PHP120,000 for each count.
The cases stemmed from Duterte’s statement during an online press conference in November 2024 that she had contracted someone to kill Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez, if she were killed.
On Saturday, Duterte appeared before the Quezon City RTC and posted a bail of PHP360,000.
PNP: No harassment, surveillance efforts
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., meanwhile, assured that there was neither an order nor an effort to harass or put the Vice President under surveillance.
“We understand the Vice President’s concerns, but I assure her that the PNP remains committed to lawful, professional, and impartial police operations. Our focus is always on maintaining peace and order and police actions are always guided by our duty to protect,” he said.
Nartatez directed all units to continue monitoring potential threats against the Vice President and her family, while reminding personnel that any security or threat-monitoring activity must be lawful, properly authorized and professionally conducted.
He also ordered that reported threats be assessed separately from law-enforcement actions related to the Vice President’s criminal case.
Remulla also said the PNP had offered Duterte security through its Police Security and Protection Group, but she allegedly declined the offer.
AFP: Concerns taken seriously
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), meanwhile, said it is evaluating and taking seriously all of Duterte’s security concerns.
“The AFP takes all security concerns seriously. The security of the Vice President is continuously assessed by the appropriate security units, in coordination with concerned agencies,” AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said in a message to reporters.
Padilla added that the “necessary adjustments” will be made based on validated information and the prevailing threat assessment. She, however, did not give more details regarding the matter for security reasons.
“For operational security, the AFP will not disclose specific details regarding security arrangements or threat assessments,” she added. (with a report from Priam F. Nepomuceno/PNA)
