The Philippine National Police (PNP) issued a memorandum order to remind security personnel to adhere to professional conduct and ethical standards when performing their duties in the wake of an incident where a security guard was caught in a viral video kicking a young girl selling sampaguita flower outside a mall in Mandaluyong City.
Police Brig. Gen. Marlou Roy Alzate, chief of Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies (PNP-SOSIA), reminded private security personnel and private security service providers of their obligation to strictly adhere to the provisions on Professional Conduct and Ethical Standards of Security Personnel as stated under Republic Act No. 11917 or the “The Private Security Services Industry Act”.
The PNP-SOSIA is in charge of licensing private security agencies.
“[A]ll security personnel must act with utmost decorum at all times. Personal feelings and prejudices must never influence your actions. You are directed to remain courteous and respectful while performing your duties, and to handle all situations with professionalism and restraint,” read a memo signed by Alzate dated Thursday, Jan. 16, and made public on Friday, Jan. 17.
In his memo, Alzate cited Section 234 of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of RA No. 11917 which states: “As a security professional, my fundamental duty is to protect lives and property and maintain order within my place of duty, protect the interest of my employer and our clients, and the security and stability of the government and country without compromise and prejudice, honest in my actions, words and thoughts, and do my best to uphold the principle: “Makatao, Maka-Diyos, Makakalikasan, at Makabayan”.
A video that went viral on social media Thursday showed a guard of SM Megamall shooing away a young girl in uniform while she was selling sampaguita.
The mall guard confronted the girl, which reached to a point that the latter’s sampaguita products were destroyed. The girl went furious and hit the guard with her destroyed sampaguita, prompting the security officer to kick the young girl.
The guard, whose identity was withheld by the PNP pending the results of the investigation, has since been dismissed by his security agency, according to a statement from SM Megamall.
The PNP’s Civil Security Group (CSG), a regulatory unit that exercises administrative and operational control over the PNP-SOSIA, said it has initiated an investigation into the viral incident involving the mall guard.
“The Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies – SOSIA immediately acted on the said incident and they are now conducting an administrative investigation on the guard and his agency to determine possible liabilities,” the CSG said in a statement Thursday, Jan. 16.
The PNP-CSG vowed that it will be fair and swift in addressing the incident.