By Sammy F. Martin
MANILA, (PNA) – Stricter security measures has been implemented at the House of Representatives after Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., learned that a lawmaker’s bodyguard carried his service firearm inside the plenary hall last Friday as he strongly urged his 289 colleagues on Monday to strictly submit to security procedures.
“I hope my colleagues would abide with our security process. They should cooperate because this is for their own safety and the people inside Batasan Complex,” Belmonte told reporters in an interview.
Belmonte was reacting to the report made by retired Lt. Col. Danilo Carillo, chief of Lockheed Detective and Watchmen Agency, Inc., the private security group hired by the House of Representatives, that Mr. Alberto Luis Feliciano Aragon, security escort of Nueva Ecija Rep. Estrellita Suansing, entered the plenary hall last Friday without surrendering his service firearm.
Belmonte ordered the security guards and members of the Legislative Security Bureau (LSB) to also subject lawmakers to “bodily” inspection.
“Even lawmakers must submit themselves to frisk as this would ensure that firearms are not carried inside the session hall and to their respective offices,” Belmonte stressed.
Last June 27, former Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Benjamin “Benjo” Benaldo allegedly committed suicide inside his 512 room in the South Wing Lobby of Batasan office using his 9mm pistol.
Later he claimed that the incident was a case of accidental firing.
Belmonte said the cooperation of lawmakers and their bodyguards would help further guarantee the safety of members of the 16th Congress, employees, and other the people entering the Batasan Complex.
The Speaker was quick to clarify that such policy is not new, explaining it is one of the requirements in ensuring the safety of Batasan Complex, but was unfortunately unimplemented for a very long time.
“In fact it’s required, but laxly enforced through the years,” Belmonte admitted.
Right now, it has been a policy not to allow firearms inside the buildings, but well-placed security sources claimed that some of them do away with the policy since lawmakers refuse to subject themselves to frisk.
The report of Carillo was submitted to Isabelito Flores, executive director of the LSB.
The security guard of Lockheed noticed the service firearm of Aragon after passing the “walk-through” machine in the main entrance of the House of Representatives where lawmakers were deliberating the 2014 P2.2680 Trillion General Appropriations Act of 2014 (GAA).
The security guard attempted to confiscate the side arm, but subject refused to surrender and said “ihahatid ko lang ang boss ko!” Carillo said in his report.
“In this connection, it is recommended that the driver and the security escorts of Hon. Suansing be invited in the Internal Security Group for inquiry/guidance on the House of Representatives security regulations for them to refrain from committing the same violation,” Carillo stressed.
For refusing to heed the request of the security guard to deposit his side arm, the guard tailed Suansing’s security escort and immediately informed Alfaisar Sahijun, supervisor of the Plenary and Committee Security Group (PCSG), about Aragon’s presence in the plenary hall.
Also in the same report, a member of LSB, observed in the past that the driver security of Suansing was allegedly violating parking regulations.
“Every time they arrived at Main Building entrance, they occupy the frontage parking slot of the Deputy Speakers,” the report on alleged parking violations despite consistent reminder from the guards.