Manila: The Philippine National Police (PNP) has issued a stern warning to private security training agencies, cautioning them against the use of police personnel images in their advertisements and promotional materials.

According to Philippines News Agency, the directive is outlined in memorandum advisory no. 020, dated May 27, 2025. The advisory prohibits the use of images of both uniformed and non-uniformed PNP personnel in various promotional formats such as flyers, brochures, banners, and online posts. The PNP emphasized that such practices could mislead the public by creating a false impression of official endorsement or affiliation with the PNP.

The PNP Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies (SOSIA) has instructed training agencies to remove any such materials and to pay careful attention to the proper use of police insignia and uniforms. The memorandum explicitly states that compliance is necessary to avoid administrative sanctions or the potential revocation of a License to Operate. The advisory also highlights the importance of maintaining the integrity and impartiality of the PNP while protecting the image of both the police organization and the private security industry.

The SOSIA plans to conduct regular audits to ensure that private security training firms comply with the memorandum's requirements.