Vice President Sara Duterte speaks to the media at the Batasan Pambansa in Quezon City on November 25, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

MANILA — The Philippine National Police said on Thursday it welcomed the plan of Vice President Sara Duterte to file complaints against police officers for alleged disobedience, robbery, and kidnapping.

“That is always the right of anybody to file a case, especially against the police, kung feel nila na na-aggrieve sila,” PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief BGen. Nicolas Torre III said. 

“We welcome that and we will wait for the case to be filed before we make our statement and the appropriate answer kung saang forum isasampa ang kaso,” he told reporters at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

The PNP on Wednesday lodged complaints for direct assault, disobedience, and grave coercion against Duterte, Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG) chief Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, and other John Does.

The complaints, which were filed before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office, stemmed from the disruption at the House of Representatives Detention Center and Veterans Memorial Medical Center involving the detention of Duterte’s chief of staff, Atty. Zuleika Lopez.

The police claimed Duterte’s security detail assisted in the “forced transfer” of Lopez from the VMMC to the St. Luke’s Medical Center using a private ambulance.

“Kitang-kita naman sa video na sila mismo ang maygawa, ang pabida-bidang pulis tinulak ng security ni VP Sara,” Torre said.

“Pagtulak na iyon, that is direct assault. Body contact iyon sa isang pulis na nagtatrabaho lamang. That cannot be forgiven. We cannot let it pass,” he added.

Torre added that more complaints could be filed against Duterte and the VPSPG, “but we defer to the wisdom of the DOJ [Department of Justice] and NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] considering that many of these are intricate questions of law.”

Sara Duterte says gov't ignoring 'threats' to her life

‘BIG SHAME’

In her press conference in Zamboanga City, Duterte slammed the PNP for its supposed “incompetence” after it failed to gather information on the supposed threats against her.

Duterte said it was a “big shame” that the PNP was unaware of the alleged threats.

Sara Duterte says gov't ignoring 'threats' to her life

PNP spokesperson BGen. Jean Fajardo said the police were willing to help validate the supposed threats should the Presidential Security Command (PSC) seek assistance. 

“On the part of the PNP, we defer to the Presidential Security Command na siyang in charge sa security and safety of the president and vice president,” Fajardo said.

“We presume and assume na kung meron talagang credible threat against the life of the VP, this should have been communicated to the PSC. Ang PSC naman gumawa ng aksyon, including seeking assistance from the PNP. Ang PNP ay open na imbestigahan ang threats na ito. Hindi natin sinasabi na hindi natin ito pakikialaman, but we have to defer to the PSC kasi sila nga ang may jurisdiction with respect to the security of the president and vice president,” she explained.

The PSC, previously known as the Presidential Security Group, had been reorganized into a command that also controls the VPSPG.