PNP sacks Duterte's bodyguards

(UPDATE) TWO police officers moonlighting as bodyguards for Davao 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte have been dismissed from the service, the Philippine National Police (PNP) confirmed Wednesday, as the fallout from a violent bar incident continues to widen.

The officers were identified through closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of Duterte, the eldest son of former president Rodrigo Duterte, during an altercation at Hearsay Gastropub Bar in Davao City on Feb. 23. The video, which has since circulated online, allegedly shows the police officers assisting the congressman during what sources described as a two-hour assault on a local businessman.

"[T]he two police officers [were] not authorized, they [were] moonlighting. They surrendered their firearms as well as their IDs, but they went AWOL," said PNP chief Gen. Rommel Marbil, who said this suggests more than simple misconduct.

"This is not just unauthorized side work. They falsified personnel reports," Marbil said. "Their disappearance points to a deliberate attempt to mislead command oversight. This compromises institutional integrity."

The PNP chief added that the commanders of the dismissed officers would also face removal for failure of supervision. Administrative charges for dishonesty — potentially leading to lifetime disqualification from public service — will be filed against the erring policemen.