When was the last time you thanked a security guard for doing a good job?
In the Philippines, security guards wearing their customary blue uniforms are ubiquitous, especially in urban centers. The guards are there to maintain security and prevent crime. Business establishments hire security guards because they can provide peace of mind and a sense of protection to employees and customers. Their service is also in-valuable to city commuters, like those using the Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Metro Rail Transit (MRT), because their presence alone sends a strong message to potential criminals.
Unfortunately, the services these blue guards provide are greatly unappreciated, especially by people who don’t know that these security guards sometimes put their own lives in harm’s way to protect thousands of passengers everyday.
What transpired on Saturday at the MRT 3 Cubao station where authorities nabbed a passenger who was found in possession of a live hand grenade is a classic example of how these security guards put their own lives on the line to provide protection to the public. In a statement, the MRT 3 management said security personnel found the grenade inside the baggage of a passenger at the inspection area. “The live grenade was wrapped by a packaging tape and placed inside a cell-phone box. The incident was immediately reported by MRT 3 guards to police officers inside the station,” the statement said.
The confiscated grenade is a dangerous weapon that could kill and maim hundreds of passengers. Military experts said detonating fragmentation grenades are almost guaranteed to be lethal if you’re close to them and not behind decent cover. The generally accepted fragmentation radius is 30 to 35 feet, and the fuse length will be between 3 to 5 seconds, hardly giving anybody a chance to hit the deck for safety.
Following the incident, the Department of Transportation and MRT 3 management issued a joint statement saying they “will not take this sitting down.” The statement said: “We would like to stress that this matter will be taken seriously. We ask the patience and cooperation of our passengers as we further tighten the security measures being implemented in our stations. Please understand that these measures are being done to protect the safety and security of our passengers. We also want to encourage our passengers to remain vigilant and report immediately to our security personnel items, activities, and even individuals that they may find suspicious inside our trains or stations.”
For people who remember the Valentine’s Day bombings that happened on February 14, 2005, when bombs exploded almost simultaneously at a bus terminal in Davao and outside the Gaisano Mall in General Santos, and a third bomb exploded on a bus under the Ayala station of MRT 3, they know what potential grim incident was prevented by the guards at MRT 3 Cubao station on Saturday. What is surprising is the absence of appreciation, especially on social media, for the good job done by the unsung security guards. These guards put their own lives on the line daily to protect thousands of passengers. They deserve a big thank you from all of us.