NEWS
[ Datelie: Legazpi ] Protective Security
By Atty. Franco Fermin Berja Avila
Chairman, Police Regional Appellate Board 5 National Police Commission

The Christmas celebration of the year has ended but as the saying goes, it must continue in the hearts of every Filipino the whole year through. In the political arena, the politicians are preparing for May 2007 Elections. It is for this reason that the salient features of National Police Commission Memorandum Circular No. 2000-008 must be revisited to guide those who wish to have a PNP personnel as their personal bodyguard. Hereunder reprinted are the guidelines governing the detail of PNP personnel as protective security.

Section 1. When Protective Security May Be Authorized.

As a matter of policy, no uniformed personnel of the PNP shall be detailed as protective security except highly exceptional cases and under the following condition.

1. That the applicant requesting for security is under actual threat/s of death and /or physical harm;
2. That the threat/s, after due evaluation, is assessed to be imminent or highly possible of accomplishment;
3. That the security may be withdrawn any time when the demands of the PNP so require even before the expiration of the detail;

Section 2. Request for Protective Security Detail.

The request for protective security shall be made in writing to the Chief, PNP stating therein in detail the existence of threat/s to justify the grant thereof.

However, the Chief, PNP in the exigency of the services shall detail protective security personnel for the following personage even in the absence of a written request:

1. The President of the Republic of the Philippines
2. The Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines
3. President of the Senate
4. The Speaker of the House of Representatives
5. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
6. The Secretary of National Defense
7. The Secretary of the Interior and Local Government.

Section 3. Limitation

In The Grant of Protective Security. The following limitations shall be observed in the detail of the protective security:

1. Only PNP personnel with the rank of PO1 to SPO3 shall be detailed for protective security. Police Commissioned Officers may be detailed as protective security only upon the approval of the Chairman, NAPOLCOM/DILG.
2. Their duties shall be confined to protective functions and do not include the use of security detail:
   1. as security guard, gatekeeper, family driver, errand boy and other similar utility tasks:
   2. as employees in the VIP’s business establishments; and
   3. as an instrument to harass or intimidate other people.
3. The detailed PNP member is proscribed from going with the VIP on a trip outside the country. In such cases, the security detail shall report back to his/her mother unit within 48 (forty-eight) hours from the time of departure.

Our regional office located at the Government Regional Center Site in Rawis, Legazpi City was badly and terribly hit by recent typhoons with our office’s roof and sea wall destroyed.

With this situation, our Acting Regional Director Pedro T. Magannon has decided to rent the 3rd and 4th floors of the ANST Building being used then by Graceland located at Old Albay District just beside Divine Word College of Legazpi (DWCL) along Rizal Street, Legazpi City so as not to disrupt the public service provided by our office. It is high time that the concerned regional directors whose offices are located in Barangay Rawis in Legazpi City have to reassess the viability of the Regional Center located in Barangay Rawis in Legazpi having in mind the welfare of the employees as the primordial concern. You may visit our website at www.napolcom.gov.ph.