Karen Davila: Why would anyone need 433 security
personnel?
Rep Edcel Lagman: That amount of security personnel
is really inordinate and excessive. Some do not even have any security personnel.
433 SECURITY ESCORTS
How many security personnel does a vice president
need? This is a question that many Filipinos have been asking since an audit
report on the office of Vice President Sara Duterte showed [a battalion of] 433
security escorts served the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in its first
year. That’s a 455% spike in security personnel hired during the final year of
her predecessor, former Vice president Leni Robredo, who had 78 security personnel
in 2021.
This number is astonishingly high compared to other
prominent leaders in the world, such as Queen Elizabeth II, who had then 185
security officers in her Royal Protection Squad, Pope Francis, who has 125
soldiers in his Pontifical Swiss Guard, Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
who has 60 bodyguards, Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who had 20 security
personnel then, and US Vice President Kamala Harris, whose security details are not
publicly disclosed, but are estimated to be much lower than Sara Duterte’s.
Why does Sara Duterte need so many security personnel?
Is she facing more threats and risks than other vice presidents or heads of state?
Is she being paranoid or wasteful? Or is she simply following the protocol and
assessment of the security agencies?
Rep Edcel Lagman, a critic of Sara Duterte, argued
that the amount of security personnel she has is “inordinate and excessive”. He
asserted that since 1987 when he was in Congress, he has not availed himself of
any security escort implying that Sara Duterte is being wasteful or paranoid.
Her critics have also questioned the source and legality of the funds used to
pay for the security personnel, and whether they comply with the audit rules
and regulations.
VP Sara Duterte’s defenders argued that the deployment
of security personnel depends on the assessment of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), which are responsible
for providing security to government officials. They also cited the threats and
risks that Sara Duterte faces as a reason for her need for security personnel.
Both sides have valid points, but I think the number of Sara Duterte’s security personnel is indeed excessive and disproportionate to her role and functions as vice president. She should reduce her security personnel to a reasonable level that is consistent with her predecessors and peers. She should be more transparent and accountable about how she uses her funds for security purposes.
CONFIDENTIAL AND INTELLIGENCE FUNDS
Another controversy that Sara Duterte has faced is the
issue of her confidential and intelligence funds. Let’s go through some
excerpts of Senator Risa Hontiveros’ scrutiny of VP Sara Duterte’s P500-million
confidential fund -- the essence of which is encapsulated by this question: Is
the OVP an intelligence gathering agency?
SENATOR RISA HONTIVEROS (SRH): Since confidential
funds refer to those agencies related to surveillance activities undertaken by
civilian government agencies, ibig po bang sabihin yong opisina ninyo will be
gathering intelligence on certain subjects or entities in support sa inyong mga
mandates or operations?
VP SARA DUTERTE (VPSD): That is correct. As an
example, we did the surveillance of complaints from constituents in Bulacan
with regard to the selling of OVP assistance and the selling of Tupad projects
in Bulacan and there was a surveillance operation that was ran by the Vice-Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG) for
about a month and we were able to apprehend the person and we were able to
successfully prosecute the case, and that person went to jail for 6 months. So
that is an example of the surveillance activity that is conducted by the VPSPG
for the projects and activities of the Office of the Vice President in Bulacan.
SRH: I asked this because the National Intelligence
Coordinating Agency (NICA) was established to direct, coordinate, and integrate
national intelligence activities and this includes the collation of
intelligence gathered from various sources. So, we’d like more information as
to the intelligence operations of the OVP. Sa aling mga sources mag-ga-gather
ng information yong OVP. Kukuha ba kayo ng intelligence mula sa ating mga
existing intelligence services tulad ng NICA, o tulad ng DND o PNP?
VPSD: No. Intelligence starts with the communities
and the stakeholders, and then if there are complaints, and then it is built
up, through intelligence and surveillance services, and then a dossier report
is started, and then it goes through levels through the OVP and the VPSPG. So,
we do not seek intelligence reports from other government agencies, but the
intelligence report starts from the ground in the communities that are engaged
by the OVP.
SRH: Mayron pong established na intelligence cycle
at mayron pong established na chain of command for the intelligence activities
ng ating gobyerno at ating republika. At sa pagkaalam ko po walang hiwalay na
chain of command for Intel ang OVP. How can your honorable office, paano nyo
pong ma-aasure mga miyembro nitong committee na yong collation ng Intel ng
inyong opisina hindi magreresulta sa redundancy or duplication of effort?
VPSD: There is no redundancy and duplication of
effort because we have different mandates from the other government agencies.
SRH: We should leave intelligence to the experts
just as we leave education to the DepEd and we leave the mandates of the OVP to
the OVP.
At this point, without going on further with the interpellation, Senator Hontiveros’ use of the word redundancy or duplication, with no need for rocket science, hits the bull’s eye.
P125 MILLION “SECRET” FUND
On top of that, Kabataan Party List Rep Raoul Manuel’s
narrative has appeared hard to swallow but woefully true.
“Ang nakapagtataka din po lalo sa OVP… kung maala-ala
po natin sa taong 2022 nag-start po yan sa term ni former VP Leni Robredo, wala
pong naaprubahan sa national budget na may confidential fund ang OVP. Kaya po
nagtataka tayo kung bakit sa huling mga araw ng December 2022, bigla po
nagkaroon ng P125 million na confidential funds sa OVP. Kahit wala pong batas
na nag-enable dyan. Pag ganon po ibig sabihin pwede pala na mag-magic ano
mag-produce lang ng labas sa national budget ng ganong pondo para sa kahit
sinong opisyal lalo na’t malakas at malapit sa Malakanyang ang isang opisyal.”
Amid that seeming improbity -- Sara Duterte being the
most protected (military and parliamentary-wise) VP in history – came through with flying colors as her budget passed
the scrutiny of Congress as bannered by the following headline:
“OVP’s proposed P2.3B budget for 2024 OK’d by Senate panel,
keeps P500M CIF” (Inquirer)
“Enjoy” could be the befitting word of the day for VP
Sara and her backers.
Looking back, here’s the headline with the word “enjoy”: “VP Sara to ACT solon: Enjoy thought of my impeachment” (Daily Tribune). Indeed, being the most protected VP in history, such thought is just like a “suntok sa buwan.”
Head photo and video clips courtesy of YouTube
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