Police, security agencies to sit down

Police, security agencies to sit down

Acting Cebu City mayor says persons who want to be security guards should undergo several trainings like anger management and gun-handling, among others

ACTING Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella will meet police officials and owners of security agencies tomorrow to discuss recent shootings in the city involving security guards.

Labella said he scheduled a meeting with Senior Supt. Marciano Batiancela of the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 and security agency owners in the city to find out if they comply with requirements when hiring guards.

Labella said he wants owners of security agencies to commit that they will prevent their guards from committing crimes.

He said owners should go beyond basic requirements in hiring guards.

Aside from the neuropsychiatric exam that he wants to be a requirement in hiring guards, the acting mayor said accepted applicants should also be required to undergo several trainings like anger management and gunhandling, among others.

More proposals

“They also need to scrutinize the records of the applications if they don’t have criminal records on crime against property, crime against persons and any other kind of crimes defined under the law,” Labella said.

He also proposed that off-duty guards should not be allowed to bring their service firearms.

Councilor Dave Tumulak supported Labella’s proposal, saying the Philippine Association Of Detective and Protective Agency Operations (Padpao) should help monitor its members.

Tumulak, who was appointed by Mayor Tomas Osmeña as deputy mayor for police matters, also saw the need to monitor guards to make sure they are licensed.

Labella and the councilor will also look into reports that some security agencies operate without a license.

Under Republic Act 5487, or the Private Security Agency Law, the Phil- ippine National Police, through the Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies Unit, has the authority to supervise operations of all private detective and watchman or security guard agencies.

Last Dec. 22, a security guard shot lawyers Goering Paderanga and his son Gerik outside their law firm on F. Ramos St. in Barangay Sta. Cruz. The Padergangas died.

Later that night, a security guard also shot and killed a laborer and wounded another in Barangay Tejero.

Labella and Tumulak said that there is a need to enact a local legislation that will complement the law on regulating security agencies.