Presidential guards to be restructured

JAKARTA (JP): Newly appointed chief of Paspampres (the presidential guards) Brig. Gen. Nono Sampono asserted on Tuesday that he would reorganize the squad so as to tighten security around the vicinity and quarters of the President and Vice President, reports said.

Nono said that there should be a proper arrangement of the guards' duties since there were three groups of Paspampres that were assigned specific tasks, Antara reported.

"The security arrangements for the President are normal, actually. We just think that the current arrangement is too lax," Nono told the media after a modest ceremony at Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in East Jakarta, sending off President Megawati Soekarnoputri on her first ASEAN tour.

The first group, named Group A -- consisting of some 450 personnel -- is assigned to guard the President and her family. Group B is for the Vice President and his family, while Group C is tasked to guard presidential guests.

Nono, who was previously deputy chief of Paspampres, gave an example that nowadays presidential guards from the third zone might approach the President, although they were supposed to remain in the outer ring.

"Only the guards in the first zone are allowed to be near the President. This is standard protocol and procedure ... anywhere in the palace or presidential quarters there are certain areas for the public and officials that are off-limits," he said.

Nono further said that there would be no restriction on press coverage as it would be allowed in accordance with customary protocol. "There will be no restrictions on that," he said. (edt)