Seven-hundred twenty-three guns of various calibers were seized by the Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies of the Philippine National Police as it intensified its campaign to regulate security guards, private detectives, and watchmen.
In a presentation in Camp Crame, Quezon City, Police Col. Sidney Villaflor, director of the PNP-SOSIA, said the guns were confiscated in 1,097 post-to-post inspections conducted from June 2019 to June 2020 due to violation of Republic Act 5487 or the Private Security Agency Law by private security agencies and security officers.
Villaflor said 187 were released to its owner-agencies after they complied with the noted violations while the remaining 536 were forwarded to the PNP Crime Laboratory and Firearms and Explosives Office for further validation.
The SOSIA has implemented stricter regulations of security officers after some of them were linked to a number of illegal activities, the most recent of which was the killing of four suspected Islamic State-linked and Abu Sayyaf Group terrorists in Paranaque City. Three of the suspects were security guards working in condominium buildings and a local tire shop.
“Confirmed na licensed security guards itong mga ‘to. Based on record, two years ago ang latest approval ng kanilang license at mag-eexpire na next year,” Villaflor said. (Martin Sadongdong)
