AFP reorganizes VPSPG into AFPSPG for streamlined security

A military official clarified on Saturday, April 5, that the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG) was reorganized into the AFP Security and Protection Group (AFPSPG), not disbanded, as part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines' (AFP) rationalization efforts.

Col. Xerxes Trinidad, chief of AFP public affairs office, stated that the transformation aims to unify security operations and ensure robust protection for key officials within an integrated framework.

Approved by the Department of National Defense in February 2025, this reorganization was undertaken to streamline and optimize security measures.

In December 2024, Vice President Sara Duterte had expressed her preference not to accept replacements after some members of her security detail were recalled due to an investigation into alleged assassination threats made during an online briefing.

The new AFPSPG will provide continuous and uninterrupted protection for the Vice President and other VIPs as approved by the DND, ensuring a more efficient safeguarding mechanism.

Prior to this change, the VPSPG was established in June 2022 to secure Sara Duterte and her immediate family upon assuming office, replacing the previous Security and Protection Battalion under the AFP General Headquarters and Headquarters Support Command.

The AFP urged the public to avoid spreading false information and promote unity instead.