PNP thinking of sending Crame personnel to the field, task 'blue guards' to secure HQ

For the last three days, visitors to Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame were surprised to see blue guards - or civilian security guards - manning the gates and entrance.

 

PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Generoso Cerbo Jr. said Tuesday this was part of an "experiment," which he said is not quite over yet.

 

"Ito kasama sa pag-aaral, gusto nila mangyari rito tinitingnan baka pwede i-turnover o i-delegate sa non-police personnel ang ibang trabahong ginagawa sa Crame nang sa ganoon ma-maximize natin ang pulis na nade-deploy sa kalsada. Pag-aaral pa lang ito (This is part of our study. What the PNP Headquarters Support Service wants is to delegate to non-police personnel the less sensitive work in Camp Crame, so we can maximize our police forces for anti-crime work)," Cerbo said in an interview on dzBB radio.

 

He said the blue guards had been keeping watch over Camp Crame last Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, with regular police personnel supervising them.

 

But as of Tuesday morning, a report by dzBB's Manny Vargas said regular police personnel are back manning the gates and entrances at Camp Crame.

 

Cerbo assured the public the blue guards would not do "sensitive" jobs or be in the sensitive areas of Camp Crame.

 

"Kung meron talagang nagse-secure ng Crame at reaction force sa Crame, pulis pa rin ang gagawa noon (But regular police forces are still the ones forming the reaction forces in Camp Crame)," he said.

 

Back to drawing board

 

Cerbo alsosaid the PNP Headquarters Support Service, which is responsible for security at Camp Crame, has returned to the "drawing board" to study the effects of the recently concluded experiment.

 

He said that if the HSS will decide to go ahead with tapping blue guards, the PNP will scrutinize the blue guards' training and background checks.

 

"Most likely dadaan sila sa orientations at special training bago gamitin dito sa Crame and other camps (Most likely they will take part in orientations and special training)," he said.

 

He even hinted the blue guards may be tapped to similarly guard other police camps in other parts of the country, but said nothing is final yet.

 

When asked how many of these blue guards will be tapped, he said there is no decision at this time. But he said that in Camp Crame, more than 100 may be tapped.

 

"Tinitingnan pa at this point, under study pa yan (All these are still being considered, they are under study)," he said.  — ELR, GMA News