Military will no longer be bodyguards to government, civilian officials

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of National Defense (DND) has issued new guidelines on the deployment of soldiers to government civilian offices as well as their acting as security escorts of government officials.

In a DND statement released by Defense spokesman director Arsenio Andolong, the new Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) as contained in Executive Order 98 (EO 98) Series of 2019 issued by President Duterte, military personnel can no longer be detailed  to government civilian offices and officials for protective security assignment.

Andolong said that as per the new IRR, soldiers can only be detailed to entitled civilian offices and officials as aide-de-camps, military assistants or military administrative assistants.

“Current protective security assignments of detailed military personnel will no longer be extended and security assignments will now be solely undertaken by the Philippine National Police (PNP),” Andolong said.

He said the DND and the Department of the Interior and Local Government will be issuing separate rules and regulations for the immediate implementation of EO 98, including quotas on the deployment limit.

However, new guidelines allow the deployment of soldiers to be detailed as aide-de-camps to the President, the Vice President, visiting foreign military or civilian dignitaries in such number and of such grades as the defense secretary may determine.

The new guidelines also allowed for the deployment of military assistants to the President and the Vice President in such number and of such grade as he or she may determine.

Also allowed to have military assistants under the new IRR are the Senate president, the speaker of the House, the executive secretary, the chairperson of the Senate committee on national defense and security, the chairperson of the House committee on national defense and security, the national security adviser, the director general of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, the number grades of which may be determined and approved by defense secretary.

Government civilian offices and officials may have military assistants but this is subject to approval of the defense secretary.

Likewise, the President, government civilian offices and officials may also be entitled to have military administrative assistants, subject to approval by the defense department.

However, former presidents, spouses or widowers of former presidents or their identified next of kin, shall be entitled to military administrative assistants or protective security, in such combination as the entitled individual may determine, but in no case exceeding six personnel.

All request for military assistants or military administrative assistants shall be accompanied by a certification from the PNP of the number of protective security already availed of.

Meanwhile,  Section 4 of the new IRR cancelled the deployment of military personnel to other government officials other than those already identified.

“No military personnel shall be detailed or assigned to private individual for the purpose of rendering professional or technical advice and assistance on military matters or rendering administrative assistance on military matters, unless such detail or assignment is approved by the President, upon the recommendation of defense secretary,” the new IRR dated Dec. 27, 2019, reads.

On matters of protective security, requests for such shall be referred to the DILG through the PNP.

The new IRR effectively terminates all military details providing protective security to government officials and offices, including those assigned to the office of the Vice President, except  soldiers who are detailed to the President.

“Except for the detail of military personnel to the President, all initial detail of military personnel to government civilian offices or officials, extensions of the detail period and then termination of such detail, shall be upon evaluation and recommendation of the chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and approval of the secretary of national defense,” the new DND IRR, signed by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, said.