President’s security upgraded from group to command

MANILA, Philippines — The elite unit securing President Marcos and his family has been expanded from a group to a command – a development that restored a setup during the time of his late father and namesake.

The unit formerly called the Presidential Security Group (PSG) is now officially known again as the Presidential Security Command (PSC), Department of National Defense public affairs chief Arsenio Andolong told The STAR yesterday.

“(The PSC) was activated very recently. They are called PSC again,” Andolong said, noting that a command is bigger and has a wider mandate than a group.

The armed unit originated from the ragtag squad established by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo around March 1897, when he was elected president of the
revolutionary government, according to a statement from the Presidential Communications Office released in 2017.

It underwent transformations since then, but when the late Ferdinand Marcos Sr. assumed power, it was expanded to the PSC, the statement said.

In 1986, then president Corazon Aquino disbanded the command and replaced it with a “leaner” PSG.

The PSC is led by MGen. Nelson Morales, who was appointed commander of the PSG last October.

A senior military official told The STAR the upgrade seeks to provide a better command and control of the PSC’s sub-units.

The official said the PSG was already a huge group – bigger than a military brigade – even before it reverted to PSC.

The official added that the development is expected to make the PSC “more focused” on the performance of its mission.

The PSC was used when Morales issued a statement reacting to criticisms on Marcos’ use of the presidential helicopter to travel to the Philippine Arena in Bulacan to watch the Coldplay concert last Friday.