A kind of siege mentality returned to Malacañang when the Presidential Security Group (PSG) imposed stringent security measures without advising people who regularly do business there — the media and even Palace employees.
The additional security checks of the PSG, requiring all those who would enter Kalayaan building to go through the metal detectors at the Technical Inspection Center (TIC) at the Palace sentry gate, took effect yesterday.
All visitors entering the Palace proper are required to pass through the TIC which is a structure equipped with airport-type metal detector setups.
Under the new rule, officials and employees, even those from the Office of the Press Secretary and Malacañang Museum who hold office at Kalayaan, have to pass through the TIC.
But after heated exchange of words between overzealous guards and media personnel who were not so much given a hint of an advisory, PSG commander Brig. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. had to profusely apologize for his men’s brash behavior.
Esperon, however, was quick to justify the additional security impositions, saying these paled in comparison with those in seats of government in other countries.
Press Undersecretary Carmen Suva, who wasn’t notified of the new rule either, had to go all the way back to the TIC.
The media crew of Channel 9 led by reporter Beverly Verches also had a heated altercation with one Army Sergeant Bordonado when the TV crew went straight to the Press Working Area at Kalayaan like they do everyday.
Bordonado accosted the TV 9 personnel and ordered them to go through the TIC but Verches refused to do so and questioned why she had to go through it when they were not going inside the Palace proper anyway.
Subsequently Channel 9 cameraman Jo-an Alitiit took video footage of the new system but he too was accosted by a plainclothes officer, one Captain Darilag, who tried to confiscate his camera equipment.
This triggered a further heated verbal exchange, with the PSG guards arguing they were just carrying out the orders of President Arroyo, whose family lives in the compound.
The TV crews from other channels caught this incident on camera, after which the guards immediately reported the matter to General Esperon.
Meeting with Undersecretary Suva and the Palace reporters, Esperon apologized for the lack of advisory about this latest security imposition.
"But we cannot announce everything what we are going to do. It won’t achieve the purpose of security if we announce them to you," he pointed out.
He explained the new rule was just part of additional security checks the PSG would start implementing.
The general upbraided his men for their coarse behavior and decided to suspend for awhile the new rule until further refinement.