OPINION
Advocates Philippines
EDITORIAL: The Blacklisting Of SMPP Limited
Photo credit: SMPP
The one-year blacklisting of SMPP Limited (India) by the Philippine National Police (PNP) is a sobering indictment of how a foreign supplier allegedly attempted to use high-level political theater to mask a trail of contractual negligence and document fabrication.
The heart of this scandal isn't just a failed delivery of vests; it is the utter disregard for the life of a Filipino officer. After Police Colonel Pergentino Malabed, Jr. lost his life in a tragic accident in January 2025, his family and his government were met not with the immediate support of a contractually mandated insurance policy, but with 126 days of silence.
While the PNP and American Airlines were forced to dig into their own pockets to repatriate the Colonel’s remains, SMPP remained paralyzed. It was only when the threat of blacklisting became real that the company suddenly discovered insurance policies that the Insurance Commission later confirmed were legally non-existent.
The most galling chapter of this saga was SMPP’s calculated attempt to hide behind President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.. By splashing photos of a private MOU signing across social media, SMPP tried to manufacture a narrative of presidential favor to intimidate the PNP.
They banked on the hope that the Philippine bureaucracy would be too star-struck or too timid to hold a strategic partner accountable. They were wrong. The law, specifically RA 9184, does not have an MOU exception.
If a supplier submits questionable documents and fails to meet its obligations, no amount of diplomatic proximity should save them from being purged from the list of eligible contractors.
While some may see the blacklisting as a firm decision, we should view it as the mandatory standard. The PNP leadership, headed by General Jose Melencio Nartatez, did what was required by the evidence: they followed the paper trail of discrepancies in premium computations and the Insurance Commission’s damning certification.
To have done anything less would have been a betrayal of the procurement process. The legal presumption is clear: if you hold and use a falsified document, you are its author. SMPP didn't just fail a contract; they allegedly attempted to commit fraud against the Republic.
A one-year blacklisting is a start, but the vigilance must continue. We must ensure that strategic partnerships are built on the bedrock of mutual respect and legal compliance, not on the shifting sands of PR stunts.
The memory of Col. Malabed and the integrity of the PNP demands nothing less.
The heart of this scandal isn't just a failed delivery of vests; it is the utter disregard for the life of a Filipino officer. After Police Colonel Pergentino Malabed, Jr. lost his life in a tragic accident in January 2025, his family and his government were met not with the immediate support of a contractually mandated insurance policy, but with 126 days of silence.
While the PNP and American Airlines were forced to dig into their own pockets to repatriate the Colonel’s remains, SMPP remained paralyzed. It was only when the threat of blacklisting became real that the company suddenly discovered insurance policies that the Insurance Commission later confirmed were legally non-existent.
The most galling chapter of this saga was SMPP’s calculated attempt to hide behind President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.. By splashing photos of a private MOU signing across social media, SMPP tried to manufacture a narrative of presidential favor to intimidate the PNP.
They banked on the hope that the Philippine bureaucracy would be too star-struck or too timid to hold a strategic partner accountable. They were wrong. The law, specifically RA 9184, does not have an MOU exception.
If a supplier submits questionable documents and fails to meet its obligations, no amount of diplomatic proximity should save them from being purged from the list of eligible contractors.
While some may see the blacklisting as a firm decision, we should view it as the mandatory standard. The PNP leadership, headed by General Jose Melencio Nartatez, did what was required by the evidence: they followed the paper trail of discrepancies in premium computations and the Insurance Commission’s damning certification.
To have done anything less would have been a betrayal of the procurement process. The legal presumption is clear: if you hold and use a falsified document, you are its author. SMPP didn't just fail a contract; they allegedly attempted to commit fraud against the Republic.
A one-year blacklisting is a start, but the vigilance must continue. We must ensure that strategic partnerships are built on the bedrock of mutual respect and legal compliance, not on the shifting sands of PR stunts.
The memory of Col. Malabed and the integrity of the PNP demands nothing less.
Feb 26, 2026
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