The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Friday reported that it is planning to enlist security guards as its “eyes and ears” to enhance peace and order and address various security issues.
Civil Security Group (CSG) director Maj. Gen. Edgar Alan Okubo made the remark during the closing ceremony for the Basic Information Collection and Analysis Seminar (BICAS) for private security agencies in Camp Crame, Quezon City on Wednesday.
The PNP-CSG led the seminar in recognition of the crucial role played by security guards across various sectors, including in airports and commercial establishments.
“Their responsibilities extend to addressing both external and internal threats contributing to the government’s comprehensive security framework,” Okubo added.
The CSG chief stated that this approach is crucial for bridging information gaps and utilizing security guards to identify and report anomalies, including issues related to national security, internal security operations (ISO), terrorism, espionage, smuggling, drug trafficking, illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs), and other concerns.
Based on CSG’s data, there are around 575,000 security guards across the country, which can augment the PNP in its peace and order and law enforcement duties.
Okubo said the BICAS will be replicated across the country to cover all the security guards.
He also urged all private security agencies to cooperate since the effort is for the sake of the country and the Filipino people.
He explained that the cooperation involves providing daily intelligence briefs (DIB) and submitting daily reports to the Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies (SOSIA) for evaluation and further validation by intelligence units.
