Nathan

Philippines

Been in the Philippines, or staying in the Philippines? Then you must’ve noticed that all malls, buildings, and train stations in the Philippines have guards stationed at the entrance. Upon going inside the building, mall or establishment, you will be greeted by a table with 2 guards (one male, one female) to inspect your belongings for items that may cause harm to the general public, such as bombs. In some places, there are also bomb-sniffing dogs.

I’m not sure if this kind of situation can be seen elsewhere, but as far as I know, this is what is known as “only in the Philippines.”

What could have brought about this picture?

I can’t remember where or when this started. But I guess it was because of the bomb threats and the problem the Philippines has, down south. Basilan in Mindanao has been a very famous place, thanks to the Abu Sayyafs. One unforgettable incident was that of the couple Martin and Gracia Burnham, of which Gracia recounted her experiences in a book: In the Presence of My Enemies. Since then, the Philippines has been seen as a dangerous destination, which I wouldn’t agree in totality (but I’ll leave it for now, as it is of a different subject and argument altogether).

Theory vs. Practice

So, in theory, providing more security personnel and equipment, and having more police visibility averts risks. Hold on. Does it really? Police visibility might. But security guards at entrances, might not. Let’s break it down into chunks:

• Location and manner of inspection - The inspection site is noteworthy, as the entrance is usually the first entry point. In essence, everyone who goes in “knows” they are safe. That is if the inspection was done in the correct manner. In most cases, the metal detectors don’t really serve any purpose, since they all the time; and the guards seem like live decorations scanning the surface of bags and other belongings for potential bombs.  I’m sure there are cases when they actually find something that is suspicious. These precautionary measures seem useless in the general sense. I guess the key here is visibility.
• Human (Filipino?) mentality – When everything is in order and seems safe, most of the time, it is. So why bother to be prepared? So when there’s no recent news on actual bombs that go off, or actual robberies that happen, people tend to become lax. So do the security personnel. When there’s news of a terrible happening, just like the recent Rolex robbery in Greenbelt 5, at once and on cue, everyone becomes agitated and becomes more conscious. Guards become more careful in inspecting. A vicious cycle.
• Criminal psychology – If you were a criminal planting bombs, will you go inside the mall perhaps and flaunt your bomb on top of your hand-carried bag? If you have a gun, will you really place it on your belt line? I bet not. But these are the only usual places where checks are being done. If you were a criminal, and want to be successful, you wouldn’t place these deadly objects in plain sight.

Given all these, what do these security precautions provide us then? A false sense of security. But what can we do about it?

Statistics vs. Practicality

The statistics clearly show that there are only a few cases of actual successful attempts. These security detail and equipment do provide a simple first line of defense. Not that effective, yes, but visibility helps lower crime. If you were a guard stationed at the entrance, and you’re swarmed by an angry mob of commuters waiting to go home, would you most likely inspect thoroughly, or just to pass through them? It’s not very practical to scour through each and every belonging a person is bringing with him/her. Despite having a false sense of security, in a way, they still do their job, I guess…

Your thoughts, please.

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