Panamanians through social media have shown their support for the initiative, stating that this decision should have been taken a long time ago, as they find it "unfair" that the escort service for former presidents comes from the state treasury and extends to their families; therefore, they hope that its discussion in the National Assembly will be successful. "That is a security privilege that must be limited to 5 years. Do you want lifetime security? Pay for it with your own money," asserted another netizen. The current law states that former heads of state will have lifetime escorts and personal security; this service will also be extended to the spouse or person who served as First Lady for a period of 10 years, and to the children for 5 years. Citizens propose that security be maintained only for the outgoing head of state for a period after their administration. The bill that seeks to reduce the time of police assistance to which former presidents are entitled at the end of their term is gaining ground among citizens; they believe that these resources should be invested in addressing their needs for water, employment, education, electricity, among others. "That would be a step towards correcting all the absurd and costly privileges granted to the political class," emphasized a user on X. Additionally, it suggests reducing the number of agents to 2 units. "We are a country with limited resources." A request that was applauded by independent deputy Luis Duke, who hopes that the Government Commission will schedule the bill for its first debate discussion no later than next week. The bill by deputy Jonathan Vega reduces the benefit to 10 years (2 terms), orders its suspension in case of misuse, and establishes a maximum number of escorts (4) that will decrease over time depending on the risk assessment results carried out by the corresponding entities. The Party Achieving Goals (RM) also spoke out on what it perceives as "an unnecessary expense," requesting its deputies to vote in favor of the initiative.
Panamanians Push to Cut Security Benefits for Former Presidents
Panamanians support a bill to limit lifetime security for former presidents and their families, arguing these costly privileges should be abolished to fund national needs like water, education, and electricity.
