PNP limited road escorts to 9 officials, JV Ejercito says

The number of officials that the Police Security and Protection Group has been escorting on the road has been reduced to nine, the Philippine National Police's budget sponsor Senator JV Ejercito said on Thursday.

Citing answers from PNP Acting Chief Police Lieutenant General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., Ejercito said these include the President, Vice President, Senate President, House Speaker, Supreme Court Chief Justice, and other Cabinet secretaries who have sensitive positions, according to Ejercito.

“According to the chief PNP, they have already cut down. At present, there are just about nine,” Ejercito said.

This development followed Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III's call for the PSPG to attend lectures to learn how to be more cautious of other motorists when escorting VIPs on the road. 

During the plenary debates on the proposed P308.239 billion budget of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and its attached agencies for next year, Sotto lamented the lack of decorum by police escorts when out to provide service to VIPs. 

He said some motorists are being pushed aside to give way to VIPs even during rush hour.

“May we request that you make them undergo regular lectures, reminders, like workshops to be more polite and [to have] more proper decorum, respectful when they escort the VIPs? Kasi pati ako kung minsan tinatabi ng mga hagad eh (they even push me aside at times),” the Senate President said. 

“Not me. Ako na ‘yun eh, madali na ‘yun. As a matter of fact, I can do with it. Pero ang mga kababayan natin, marami naiinis na tinatabig sila, tinatabi sila. Konting ano siguro, konting decorum, respectful. Nata-traffic kaming lahat eh, sana ma-traffic din sila,” he added. 

(Not only me. As a matter of fact, I can do with it. But many of our countrymen get angry because they are being inconvenienced. The police escorts should have a little decorum and be more respectful. We're all suffering from traffic, I just hope they also experience the same.) –NB, GMA Integrated News