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12,000 security guards in R-12 seal guns

By MindaNews

| December 31, 2013 - 1:59 pm

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/31 Dec.) — Around 12,000 security guards in Region 12 have sealed the muzzles of their issued firearms in connection with the New Year’s Eve celebration.

Chief Insp. Romeo Galgo Jr., Police Regional Office 12’s firearms, explosives, security agencies and guards section chief, said Tuesday the sealing or taping of the gun muzzles of the security guards is part of their continuing efforts to prevent cases of indiscriminate firing and related incidents during the New Year revelries.

He said their monitoring showed that all security agencies in the region have so far complied with the move, which was based on a directive issued by the Philippine National Police central office.

Region 12 comprises the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato.

The regional police held a ceremonial taping of the muzzles of firearms of security guards assigned within the city on Monday.

Among those who joined the activity were security guards of local shopping malls, department stores, banks and other establishments.

Galgo said they used ordinary masking tapes in the sealing of the gun muzzles of the security guards unlike those used for police personnel that have bar code labels.

“But these are equally effective as we have set some measures for their proper checking later on,” he said.
Based on the directive issued by the PNP’s Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies, the muzzles of all the firearms issued to security guards will be taped from December 30 to January 2.

Such move was in connection with the earlier taping of muzzles of firearms of policemen to prevent their illegal discharge or indiscriminate use during the Christmas and New Year revelries.

The directive was specifically issued to all operators, managers and security officers of Police Security Agency, Police Detective Agency, Company Guard Forces and Government Security Units.

Galgo said all private security agencies are required to submit a report of compliance to the directive with pictorials not later than January 15 next year.

“We advised our operators, security officers and operations officers to submit immediately their reports, especially if the security guards used their firearms during the New Year’s Eve celebration,” he said.

He said any security guard who would violate such directive will be slapped with various hefty sanctions and face criminal charges. (MindaNews)