PNP can provide security detail for whistleblower Santiago

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine National Police can provide security detail for poll fraud whistleblower Senior Superintendent Rafael Santiago, officials said Friday.

Highly-trained personnel from the PNP Police Security and Protection Group (PSPG) will be assigned to Santiago, deputy police Senior Superintendent Ramon Apolinario said Friday.

Santiago, being a government employee, need not undergo a threat assessment to have a security assigned to him and his family, said Apolinario.

Santiago has disclosed that he and his team changed the ballot boxes stored at the House of Representatives with those containing fake election returns ostensibly to ensure former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo won in the 2004 presidential polls.

Santiago, now assigned at the Philippine National Police Directorate for Operations in Camp Crame, said he has been receiving death threats since after his exposé.

Apolinario said that if Santiago would ask for a security detail, the PNP could initially provide two police escorts for him and a maximum of five for his family. So far, no request has been made, said Apolinario.

Originally post at 2:36 p.m.