Security Guards are Everywhere in the Philippines!

[Gary D]

I have always assumed it's more make work rather than effective. The bank guards get it tough because it ups the anti with the robbers who will then go loaded for bear.

[JDDavao II]

Security guards? They're there in case trouble strikes. It's much more efficient for an excited guard to accidentally shoot you with a gun he has never fired than to have to wait for a police officer to do it. 

 

[Edit - I made the joke too late, it seems. Oh well. It helps my post count!]

Edited September 14, 2017 by JDDavao

[OnMyWay]

I don't understand why so many carry those pistol grip shot guns but I'm going to guess that they supply their own weapon and that is the cheapest option.  I wouldn't want to lug one around all day.  A side arm should be fine for most of the retail security jobs.  The shotguns do make me nervous and I try to keep my kids away from any of them carrying shotguns.

Some of the security guards might do ok as a career.  We know a few who are nice guys / gals and have been at the same place for years.  "Sarge" is the only security guard at the Mercury Drug we patronize.  He has known my kids for years and likes to play with them.  He works 10-8 every day, 7 days a week.  Another guy at our Chow King (now closed for renovations) also works every day, all day, 7 days a week.  He has a cat he adopted there that is a big fat cuddly cat from all the scraps it gets.

Jake would appreciate a couple of the female security guards at Harbor Point mall.  A couple of them are knock-outs and they also have known my kids for years.

[Castaway]

14 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

Jake would appreciate a couple of the female security guards at Harbor Point mall.  A couple of them are knock-outs and they also have known my kids for years.

Reminds me of the female security guards at the SM Malls who seem to enjoy their jobs all too much as they give me vigorous pat downs 

[MikeB]

Wonder what load those shotguns are carrying? Birdshot, buck, slug? I was waiting in an ATM line and the guard was helping the old woman just ahead of me use the new-fangled machine. The shotgun was dangling from his neck and swinging around pointing at my stomach. I asked him please don't point the barrel at me. Acted like I was crazy. I kept thinking Barney Fife.

[Gator]

6 hours ago, Jake said:

Their uniforms are sharp and well pressed.  Shotguns with pistol grips apparently are the weapons of choice since I will assume they are locally made (cheap) and probably with very limited supply of shotgun shells on hand.  I will also assume they are not well trained in weapons handling and not regularly re-certified.  Ammo is very expensive.

Ever handle a pistol grip shotgun?  It's design to quickly shoot from the hip and not against the shoulder at eye level.  In other words -- generally point and spray.  I'm with Master Sergeant Scott H.......being near an armed and untrained individual will probably make me have an "accidental discharge" if the gun goes off while having a Jollibee hamburger.....he, he.  

Ever take a close look at their weapons? Not just the shotguns. Many are rusty and not well take care of. I often wonder if they would even fire, or worse, misfire and hurt the guards instead of the target (inteneded or not!). Many of them aren't even loaded as they do have to buy their own ammo. I've seen plenty of guards packing revolvers and with little effort you see if the chambers are loaded or not. Frequently they are not. 

I think they provide more of a false sense of security then anything else. That's not to say they don't keep petty theft at bay and, for the most part, keep the beggars at bay as well. But if the proverbial feces hits the oscillating device, then me thinks the guards are more likely to run or hide then fight.  

[MikeB]

2 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

I don't understand why so many carry those pistol grip shot guns but I'm going to guess that they supply their own weapon and that is the cheapest option.

Definitely intimidation. They do look cool in the Bruce Willis movies when he's blowing away bad guys w/o aiming. Real life is not quite the same. More often than not innocent people die. 

[Castaway]

Weapons Selection and Training for Security

Written by bingenmendezona December 19, 2014

Since ‘weapons training’ is a favorite topic of most people in the security industry, and I have seen so much questionable methods being taught, I decided to get in the fray and put my two cents in!

So, I will start with where I think the whole process began to fall into that black hole of logic in the Philippine security industry. Why with all the supposed trainings given on ‘weapons proficiency,’ even more than any other trainings, security personnel in the Philippines still keep coming up short of being competent. I believe that the weapons selection and accompanying training were done by people unfamiliar with weapons and are themselves in need of training.

https://securitymatters.com.ph/weapons-selection-and-training-for-security-12409/

[mogo51]

6 hours ago, hk blues said:

I'm more likely to have an accidental discharge a couple of hours after eating a Jollibee hamburger!

The quote of the day.  When I first came to the Philippines and saw the shotgun totting security people, I realised it was a bravado thing.  After speaking to many long term residents, I was assured it was all BS and most sold their bullets anyway.  Having said that, there is an underlying 'doubt' that maybe helps to some small degree.  I depends much upon where you live.

Police world wide, have a notorious record of poor response time to serious, (often armed) crime.  Whether by design or self preservation who knows. For a couple of hundred pesos a day, I would not be busting my backside to get to an armed robbery scene.

Also, it is clear most are either poorly trained or untrained.  I doubt you would want them having bullets in the armoury anyway.

the abuse of the word ''Police' her and indeed all over Asia does little to provoke respect for Police and in my few months here so far, that view has not changed.  But we all come here for a quieter life and if we expect more, then reflect on what your home country is like.  Mine is appalling in their invasion on your private life - so where is the best place to be????

 

 

[Tukaram (Tim)]

I am curious what kind of loads they have in the shotguns. Slug or buckshot?  A bunch of shot spreading out in a crowd would be a bad idea...  personally I suspect most are not loaded. After all, bullets are expensive.

The other day we were ordering lunch at Floyd's BBQ.  They have no security guard at their door.  One of the street kids comes in and start hassling me for money. I ignored him, because that is more socially acceptable than hitting him. My wife told him not to touch me (she often tells them that I am police, an obvious lie).  The manager told the kid to leave but had no way to make him leave. I just smiled at her at said "that is why Jollibee has security guards".