VICE President Sara Duterte’s dedicated security detail, the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG), has been reorganized into a larger unit, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) announced on Saturday.
The AFP clarified that the nearly three-year-old VPSPG was not disbanded, as some reports suggested, but rather restructured into the AFP Security and Protection Group (AFPSPG) on February 6th.
This restructuring occurred one day after the House of Representatives voted to impeach the Vice President.
The AFP stated the reorganization aims to unify security and protection operations, extending services beyond the Vice President to other VIPs approved by military leadership.
The AFP emphasized that this change ensures continued, uninterrupted, and robust protection for the Vice President within a more integrated framework.
Prior to the VPSPG’s creation in June 2020, vice presidents relied on the Security and Protection Battalion under the AFP General Headquarters and Headquarters Support Command; there was no dedicated military security group.
The AFP contends that the current structure is a more efficient and effective method for ensuring the safety and security of current and future vice presidents.
A Commission on Audit report previously indicated that the VPSPG comprised 433 members.
