TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol – The commanding officer of the 702nd Ready Reserve
Infantry Battalion, Lt. Col. Liza M. Quirog, was prevented from entering the Bohol
Provincial Capitol on Tuesday, Sept. 5, while Vice President and Education
Secretary Sara Duterte was in the building.
Quirog, who is also a member of the National Security Council, posted on Facebook
that she was barred by the Vice Presidential Security Group (VPSG) from entering
the Capitol despite having an official business there.
Quirog, a first degree cousin of Bohol Congressman Edgar M. Chatto, is also the
head of Bohol’s Office of the Provincial Agriculture.
She said that all 81 of her battalion personnel were deployed in the streets of
Tagbilaran City as force multipliers for the security of Duterte, who was in Bohol for
the kick-off of the National Teachers Month celebration.
“Good morning sir Gen Romeo Brawner Jr sir, is this the new character of our troops
in the AFP? I think this manner of handling the people by the PSG needs to be
reviewed,” Quirog wrote in her post, addressing her message to Armed Forces of the
Philippines (AFP) Chief-of-Staff.
Quirog’s post has been shared on social media, with many netizens expressing their
support and sympathy for her.
Some also criticized the VPSG for their alleged lack of courtesy and professionalism.
The VPSG has not issued any statement regarding the incident as of press time.
Duterte, who is rumored to be running for president in the 2028 elections, visited
Bohol as part of her nationwide tour to promote her education agenda and to consult
with local leaders.
She was accompanied by Senator Imee Marcos, and other allies.
Bohol Capitol to sanction employee for online posts against VP Sara Duterte’s
security team
The Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) announced on Monday that it will
investigate and discipline one of its employees who posted online statements
criticizing the security arrangements for Vice President Sara Z. Duterte’s visit to the
province last week.
Vice President Duterte was in Bohol on September 6 to attend the National
Teacher’s Month Kick-off Program of the Department of Education and the Meet and
Greet Program with the local officials and the PGBh management.
In an official statement, the PGBh said that it was “more than honored and pleased”
to host the Vice President and that it recognized the “intense level of collective
planning, legwork, coordination, and execution” done by its partners, including the
Vice-Presidential Security Group (VPSG).
However, it also said that it was aware of an online post by one of its employees that
“undermined the efforts of the local organizing team and its partners” and that “such
arrangements were properly disseminated along appropriate channels of the PGBh
prior to the event.”
The PGBh said that it respected the work of the VPSG and that it had the final say
on security matters as a matter of protocol. It also said that it was taking the matter
seriously and that it was planning to impose disciplinary action and press applicable
sanctions against the person concerned for the misrepresentation.
The PGBh added that it was closely collaborating with its partners to get to the
bottom of the incident and to make the individual accountable for the posts seen as
contrary to its interest as a warm and hospitable people.