Palace assures Sara Duterte, allies: PNP won’t harm them

Vice President Sara Duterte arrives at the Quezon City Hall of Justice on Saturday, September 5, 2026, to post bail following an arrest warrant issued by Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 98. The warrant stems from three counts of grave threats filed against her. INQUIRER PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE MANILA, Philippines — The Palace has assured Vice President Sara Duterte that the Philippine National Police (PNP) under the Marcos administration will not be used to harm her or her supporters, despite her being among the president’s main political nemeses. The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) on Saturday defended the PNP after Duterte said she feared for her life following the issuance of a warrant of arrest for three counts of grave threats against President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former Speaker Martin Romualdez. Duterte also publicly aired her distrust of the police, the courts and even the security team assigned to guard her when she posted bail before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court on Saturday. Article continues after this advertisement “We wish to remind everyone that this administration will not allow the police force to be used as a weapon in any form of violence,” Palace press officer Claire Castro said, quoting the PCO statement. According to the PCO, the PNP was only carrying out its mandate in accordance with the law, “without bias and without any political considerations, but solely for the benefit of every Filipino.” READ: Sara Duterte posts bail: ‘I don’t trust the court’ “They remain professional in protecting the rights of all people under their care,” it said of the PNP’s 230,000 personnel across the country. “The administration has full confidence in the PNP leadership and its ranks,” it added. Article continues after this advertisement It urged Duterte to raise any concerns or complaints regarding police actions “through legal channels, rather than through baseless allegations.” PNP chief Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. on Sunday assured Duterte that the police force would address her security concerns. Article continues after this advertisement Concerned police units were instructed to continue monitoring and assessing threats against Duterte and her immediate family. To date, the PNP has not identified any verified threat against Duterte or her family. READ: PNP vows to address VP Sara Duterte’s trust, safety issues During the term of Duterte’s father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, the PNP was the main actor in enforcing his anti-drug campaign that led to the deaths of thousands of mostly poor drug suspects. Investigations by the National Bureau of Investigation and the Commission on Human Rights found that some police personnel were involved in tampering with crime scenes and planting evidence to obstruct probes into the killings of suspects who supposedly resisted arrest, infamously known as “nanlaban” cases. Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful. The cause of death of some drug suspects had also been falsified to show that they died of “natural causes.” /mcm