Agency to face raps for hospital guards

POLICE are set to sue the security agency after its members tried to resist being evicted from the Davao Doctors Hospital at past midnight Monday, causing heightened tension inside the hospital for more than four hours.

Superintendent Joseph B. Sepulchre, chief of the Police Regional Office (PRO) Davao's Security Agencies and Guards Supervision Section (Saggs), told Sun.Star Davao that they are preparing the complaint against the 8 Silver Security Agency, but added this is nothing out of the ordinary.

“Filing a complaint against any erring agency is a procedure mandated by law,” he said.

Chief Inspector Jay Dema-ala, deputy chief of Sagss, said a violation of Republic Act 5487 (The Private Security Agency Law) will be filed against the 8 Silver.

“As of now, we are still conducting further investigation,” he told Sun.Star Davao, adding they are eyeing at least four violations against the agency under the law.

Section 18 (Penal Provisions) of the law stated that “any violation of this Act or the rule or regulation issued hereunder shall be punished by suspension, or fine not exceeding P200.00 or cancellation of his or its licenses to operate, conduct, direct or manage a private detective, watchman or security guard agency and all its members in the discretion of the court together with the forfeiture of its bond filed with the Philippine Constabulary.”

The Sagss confiscated three shotguns and 15 9mm pistols from at least 40 security guards of the 8 Silver Security Agency who refused to give way to the new security guards at around 12 midnight Monday.

Sepulchre, in an interview on Monday, said their office will return the confiscated firearms after the agency will pay the required penalty amounting to around P50,000.

He said they disarmed the security guards after receiving a report that the latter attempted to switch off the electric power in the hospital to prevent the hospital management from bringing in a new batch of security guards under the Seabren Security Agency.

He said the 8 Silver guards prevented hospital management officials, doctors, and even clients from entering the hospital.

"We did not force them to leave. All we did was to confiscate their firearms and they left the area one by one. We do not have the right to remove them. We just reacted to the situation," Sepulchre said.

The standoff between the two agencies and police authorities lasted for four hours.

The DDH still has not yet issued their official statement about the incident.

A staff from the marketing department, in a phone interview, said their legal counsel is still preparing the statement.

Efforts to reach 8 Silver proved futile.