MEMBERS of the Philippine Marines are back to help secure senators after the Senate leadership
decided to reduce the number of police personnel manning the chamber’s compound.
Retired Gen. Roberto Ancan, Senate Sergeant-at-Arms, said the deployment of Marines in the Senate was in accordance with the directive of Senate President Francis Escudero to bring the military unit back so policemen can focus on providing security outside the Senate premises.
Ancan said the Marines will be assigned to man the Senate’s main gate along W. Diokno Boulevard in Pasay City, the parking lot, and the lobby where policemen were formerly deployed.
He said proper coordination were made with the Department of National Defense, the AFP chief of staff, and the Philippine Marines.
“Ang instruction kasi ni Senate President sa akin ay ibalik lang natin sa dati. Kasi dati naman ang nagse-secure sa Senate is our Marines. Nandon pa rin ang security unit ng PNP, nagpo-provide sila ng mobile security. They’re purely on police matters within and also outside the premises of the Senate (The instruction of the Senate President was to bring back the Marines because they are the ones secured the Senate before. The PNP security unit are still here providing mobile security. They’re purely on police assignment within and also outside the premises of the Senate),” Ancan said in an interview with the Senate media.
He said the changing of guards has nothing to do with the controversial cases that Senate committees have been investigating, among them the case of Guo Hua Ping aka Alice Guo.
Ancan said the same level of security will still be observed in the Senate with the Marines around.
