Exhibit 31(a)

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO §302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

I, John D. Johns, certify that:

1.               I have reviewed Amendment No. 1 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Protective Life Insurance Company for the year ending December 31, 2009;

2.               Based on my knowledge, Amendment No. 1 to the Annual Report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report.