AFP: Paolo Duterte authorized to retain security detail
An image grabbed from a video shows a man, purportedly Davao City Rep. Paolo ‘Pulong’ Duterte and seemingly wielding a knife, assaulting another, already submissive man at Barrio Obrero bar in the lawmaker’s home city. The video also showed several people witnessing the incident but doing nothing to stop the aggressor.
MANILA, Philippines — Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte is authorized to retain a security detail from the military, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) confirmed on Thursday.
According to AFP public affairs chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad, the Commission on Elections duly authorized Duterte “in accordance with applicable rules and regulations during the election period.”
“In line with this, the AFP is currently undertaking an internal inquiry to thoroughly verify and validate the identities of the personnel designated to provide security to Representative Duterte,” Trinidad said in a statement.
Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Rommel Marbil confirmed on Wednesday that Duterte had two AFP personnel as security detail in addition to the two police personnel.
Marbil said the police officers face potential administrative cases for dishonesty after allegedly “moonlighting” as bodyguards for Duterte.
READ: 2 cops face raps for ‘moonlighting’ as Rep. Duterte’s bodyguards
The police officers and the two AFP personnel were with Duterte during an altercation in a Davao City establishment in February, caught on CCTV, according to Marbil./das/abc
