MANILA (PNA) – The Philippine National Police (PNP) will continue to limit to only two the number of police security detailed to politicians and other very important persons (VIPs).

PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa said the move was in response to a survey by the Asia-Pacific Center for Research (ACRE) showing that most of the people prefer the limiting of security detail of VIPs.

“Majority of the Filipino people, who are the real bosses of the PNP, have spoken their preference on the issue (police security) at hand,” said Verzosa.

Verzosa also noted President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III remarks during his inaugural speech that the people are the real boss of his administration.

Verzosa cited the results of ACRE survey done after the May 10 national and local elections which showed an overwhelming number of Filipinos – 83.6 percent, agree to the PNP election security measure that limits to two policemen the number of security detail provided to candidates and politicians.

The same number of people, – 83.5 percent -- also support another measure, which strictly orders the police security details to always wear proper and complete uniform whenever they are on duty.

Verzosa directed Chief Supt. Lina Sarmiento, Director of the Police Security and Protection Group (PSPG), to institute appropriate guidelines that would address the various issues and related concerns raised during the post-election assessment to ensure smoother implementation.

The PSPG is the PNP unit primarily responsible for assessing threat levels against concerned officials and VIPs and providing police protection personnel if warranted.

According to Verzosa, besides heeding the clamor of the people, the PNP leadership had decided to institutionalize the measure because it is sound management policy both in terms of administrative and operational aspects of policing.

Verzosa said that both policies – limitation and wearing of proper uniform – have served the measure’s objectives when it prevented misencounters and shoot-outs by different police elements securing rival candidates and, at the same time, rationalized the use, distribution and deployment of police personnel by freeing more personnel to provide needed police services in more areas.

For the study, the ACRE used a population sample of 4,400 respondent-households covering all regions, all provinces and a statistical sample of cities and municipalities. Of the total number of respondents, 50 percent are male and the other 50 percent are female whose ages range from 16 to 60 years old and up.

The ACRE said 10 percent of those surveyed belong to AB and C socio-economic class, while 70 percent fall under the D socio-economic class, and the rest, or 20 percent are in the E class. (PNA)