P800 million a year for PNP bodyguards

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine National Police (PNP) is spending over P800 million annually for the salaries of policemen assigned as security detail for government officials and private citizens with death threats.

The PNP-Police Security Protection Group said there are 5,092 policemen nationwide assigned as security for congressmen, governors, mayors, other government officials and private citizens.

PSPG director Chief Superintendent Josefino Cataluña said in a report that their unit alone has deployed 1,434 policemen who receive P19,359,000 monthly salaries from the PNP. These policemen are securing 871 government officials and private individuals.

The remaining 3,658 policemen are assigned as security escorts to other individuals by the chairman of the National Police Commission (Napolcom), the PNP chief, police regional, provincial and city directors.

Officials of the PSPG aired their concerns during the PNP-hosted multi-sectoral forum on police transformation.

Leaders and representatives from the religious, business, academe, non-governmental organizations, mass media and government sectors attended the forum held at the PNP Multi-Purpose Hall in Camp Crame in Quezon City recently.

“(Due to deployment) personnel resource of PSPG is depleted,” the PSPG report noted.

Earlier, the PNP admitted that it is still struggling to provide 51,000 or almost half of the 125,000 policemen with PNP-issued handguns.

PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa said the forum aimed to enlist the participation of the different sectors of society to come up with better solutions to issues and concerns on peace and order and internal security.

The PSPG is mandated by law to provide protective security to authorized government officials, private individuals, and foreign dignitaries, physical security to selected government vital installations, and assist the Presidential Security Group (PSG) in securing the President and members of the First Family.

Under the law, key government officials entitled to protective security are the Vice President, the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Supreme Court Chief Justice, and the Interior Secretary.

Private individuals, by virtue of their former positions, who are entitled to security upon request includes former presidents, former vice presidents, widow of former presidents and former PNP chiefs,

In detailing PNP personnel as protective security, the PSPG said the applicant requesting for security should prove that he or she is under actual threat of death and/or physical harm.