Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the police did not harass Vice President Sara Duterte after her arrest warrant for grave threats was issued and alleged that her camp wanted the “drama” of her being detained and handcuffed.
But Remulla said the Department of the Interior and Local Government did not give in.
“Ang drama nila gusto nila makulong siya. Hindi kami pumayag. We wanted to go according to the rules of law and to the rules of court. Sanay kasi sila shortcut eh. Gusto niya may picture siya na naka-handcuff, gusto niya may picture siya nakakulong. Hindi namin binigay iyon. We accorded her the respect that her position deserves,” Remulla said in a press briefing.
The police were in communication with Duterte’s security after her warrant for grave threats was issued, and the Vice President had planned to go to Camp Crame on Friday, according to Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) director Maj. Gen. Robert Alexander Morico.
Morico said Duterte’s security asked where she would be detained, and he replied that there was time for her to post bail and she could be escorted to the court.
But her security staff told Morico that she did not want to post bail and wanted to be detained.
Morico said Duterte would not be placed in jail and would instead be placed in a conference room for her security.
Remulla also said that after the police assured Duterte’s camp that she would not be jailed or handcuffed if she surrendered to Camp Crame, she posted bail instead.
“We gave her the option to come here, but in the end they decided to go straight to the QC RTC,” he said.
Remulla also said there was no harassment of Duterte, saying the police officers who served the warrant were respectful and unarmed. Their actions were recorded on video.
“They were duly accepted into their residence and into their office,” he said.
He dared Duterte’s camp to present evidence to the contrary.
“So, any thoughts of harassment during the service are totally untrue. 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.
He also said there was no surveillance or “cloak and dagger” necessary because Duterte’s security staff were in communication with the police.
Duterte was charged with grave threats over her statement that she told somebody to kill the President, the First Lady, and the former Speaker if she were killed.
She posted P360,000 bail on Saturday.