The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has replaced the commander of its security unit tasked partly with protecting Vice President Sara Duterte, following the filing of plunder charges before the Office of the Ombudsman.
AFP Public Affairs Office chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad confirmed that Col. Raymund Dante Lachica was reassigned to the Philippine Army effective October 4. He previously headed the AFP Security and Protection Group (AFPSPG), which was formed after the reorganization of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group.
Lt. Col. Joseph Israel Eleosida has been appointed as the acting commander of the AFPSPG. “The reassignment was made in view of an existing case filed before the Office of the Ombudsman,” Trinidad said in a statement.
Lachica and retired Maj. Gen. Nolasco Mempin are facing plunder charges for allegedly amassing at least ₱50 million in public funds and misusing confidential funds. The charges are linked to the 11-day spending of ₱125 million in confidential funds by the Office of the Vice President in December 2022.
The controversy surrounding the fund utilization has deepened the rift between the Marcos and Duterte political camps. Once allies during the 2022 elections, tensions escalated after Vice President Duterte’s resignation as Education Secretary in June last year and further intensified when the Marcos administration allowed the International Criminal Court to proceed with actions against former President Rodrigo Duterte over alleged crimes against humanity linked to his anti-drug campaign.
