VICE PRESIDENT Sara Duterte graced the ribbon-cutting and blessing of the new facilities at the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG) headquarters inside Camp Emilio Aguinaldo on Thursday morning, Sept. 26.
“Actually, this is our new headquarters with new facilities like a function hall, a multi-purpose hall, barracks for the personnel, a motor pool, and a basketball court,” Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, commander of the VPSPG, said in an interview at the sidelines of the event.
“But for now, we’re still working out the specific tasks we’ll be doing here. However, we remain focused on our mandate, which is to secure and protect our vice president and her immediate family,” he said.
“This is what we’re working on now, and hopefully, we can continue to improve our facilities to boost the morale of our troops,” Lachica added.
“We have a P25 million budget, but that’s not just for the facilities. It also includes amenities like air conditioning, office supplies, tables and chairs, and kitchen equipment,” he further explained.
The event started with a mass celebration, followed by the ribbon-cutting and blessing of the facilities. Lunch was then served with the vice president, along with other officials and officers of the AFP and the VPSG.
Lachica expressed his gratitude, saying, “We are very grateful because the reason for all of this is our Vice President. She’s very generous to us, especially in the past. We’ve received all kinds of support from the Office of the Vice President.”
As VPSPG commander, Lachica clarified that they are still a part of the AFP with a special designation to secure the second highest official of the land.
He emphasized the VPSPG’s dedicated purpose, stating, “VPSPG was created for this purpose. Walang po halong politika or anything. And as a unit, we are really serious about providing full security and protection for our vice president or whoever will be our vice president in the future.”
The VPSPG, consisting of 327 members from the major services of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (Army, Navy, and Air Force), is led by their commander, Col. Raymund Dante Lachica.
Currently, the VPSPG is under the Presidential Security Command (PSC).
Photos by Rhoda Grace Saron
