Cops back as Camp Crame guards

MANILA, Philippines - Uniformed police officers are back at guarding the national headquarters of the Philippine National Police (PNP) at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Wilben Mayor said yesterday the P21-million contract of the Right Eight Security Agency Inc. (Right8) with the PNP to detail security guards at Camp Crame expired recently.

The security agency received P1.7 million per month to assign 80 to 100 guards on three eight-hour shifts per day.

“The PNP, through the Legal Service, is evaluating further the advantages and disadvantages of having private security guards at strategic areas in Camp Crame,” he said.

Last year, the PNP’s hiring of security guards was in line with the program of former PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima to increase police presence in the streets by deploying desk-bound police officers in the field.

The PNP leadership justified that an ordinary Police Officer 1 has an entry level salary from P18,000 to P20,000 plus allowances, benefits and service firearms, while an ordinary security guard is paid a monthly salary of P10,000 to P15,000.