The Philippine National Police should treat Vice President Sara Duterte’s reported safety concerns as a matter worth investigating, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said Sunday, following the court order for her arrest on grave threats charges.
Speaking to dzBB, Gatchalian framed the issue as one of basic protection owed to any citizen. He argued that the government’s duty to shield people from harm does not depend on rank or office, and that the same standard applies whether the person involved holds the second-highest post in the land or none at all.
“I’m calling on the police to investigate on their own where the alleged threats were coming from because this is not good. Anybody, whether it is the vice president or an ordinary person, our government should protect them from any threats and anything bad that may happen to them. We want a society that is safe,” he said.
The senator placed personal safety above the political controversy surrounding Duterte, saying any danger to her or her household warranted a serious response.
“The most important thing for me is the safety of everyone, including our vice president. That is the most important thing. If there is a threat to our vice president, a threat to her life, to her family, that should be taken seriously,” he said.
Asked whether the timing of the arrest warrant raised questions, Gatchalian pointed to the several probes running at once and said their outcomes were beyond anyone’s reach to steer. The strength of each case, he noted, would hinge on the evidence collected by the agencies handling them.
“There are simultaneous investigations happening, so we cannot control how these investigations go. Depending on the evidence they gather, how airtight these cases are, we cannot control that. In the impeachment court, we just keep going,” he said.
He added that the Senate intends to wrap up the impeachment proceedings before December.
