ACTING on instructions of Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Rommel Francisco D. Marbil, the PNP Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies (PNP-SOSIA) has implemented a series of programs to help alleviate the plight of private security guards who are considered as the major ‘force multiplier’ of the police force.

In particular, the PNP-SOSIA, currently headed by Colonel Marlou Roy V. Alzate, has fully complied with Gen. Marbil’s instruction to ensure that security guards will be able to get their License to Exercise Security Profession (LESP) with ease.

The PNP chief also ordered the same unit to ensure that Private Security Professionals won’t be over-burdened with difficult and complex processes when applying for their LESPs.

He also ordered the suspension of the Post-to-Post Inspections which in the past has resulted in some corrupt practices.

Alzate said they have further improved the SOSIA systems and processes to help security guards, especially by coming up with simplified LESP processes.

Since April 24, the PNP-SOSIA has coordinated with the PNP Headquarters Support Service to allow the entry of security guards applying for LESP at Camp Crame’s Gate 1 entrance instead of them being made to wait while queuing outside the said gate as early as 5:00 a.m.

Gen. Marbil’s order to shorten their Monday flag-raising rites has also benefited security guards who have to wait for hours before their application papers are processed.

The guards are now allowed to proceed to the 3rd floor of the PNP’s One-Stop Shop where they can wait for the 8:00 a.m. opening of concerned PNP offices.

The PNP-SOSIA also asked the chief of the PNP-OSS to oversee the early entry of the LESP applicants and to forward all walk-in LESP applicants who cannot be immediately accommodated at the main SOSIA office for immediate processing of their papers.

The new process has been met with satisfaction by dozens of security guards daily trooping to the PNP-OSS to apply for or renew their LESPs.

Apart from that, the accommodation of walk-in LESP applicants at the SOSIA office and the entry of additional personnel and ID card printers has eased the volume of clients and fast-tracked the processing of LESP applications.

In what has been seen as a 1st in the PNP since it was established in 1991, the PNP-SOSIA now has also allowed PSP applicants to wear smart casual attire instead of a complete set of private security uniform during the processing of their LESP application.

Col. Alzate said that this is part of Gen. Marbil’s program to ease the plight of private security guards who are going to Camp Crame to process their papers.

RA 11917 which was enacted in 2022 strengthened the act to regulate the organization and operation of private detectives, watchmen or security agencies in the country.

Prior to Gen. Marbil’s directives, the PNP-SOSIA has also exerted efforts to improve the processing of LESPs by asking the PNP Health Service to fast-track the validation of all security guards’ Neuro-Psychological evaluation results.

This can be done by linking the PNP-HS system to the SOSIA Online LESP system.

Further, the unit has developed the inclusion of additional payment options including Landbank’s Lin.Biz platform and other third-party providers available for the convenience of LESP applicants.

On orders of Gen. Marbil, the PNP-SOSIA officer-in-charge has stopped the issuance of all Letter Orders to conduct post-to-post inspections in the country.

In lieu of the conduct of post-to-post inspections, the PNP-SOSIA has undertaken a massive information campaign to remind all Private Security Service Providers or PSSPs and PSPs of their duties and responsibilities under RA 11917 and its IRR.

For complaints against and misdemeanors committed by PSSPs and PSPs, investigative inspections will still be conducted with proper documentation and submission of SOSIA After-Investigation Inspection Report.

All PSSPs are now to be held accountable for the conduct of their employed PSPs and have the obligation to maintain internal discipline within their ranks at all times.

All PSSPs who will fail to do their job will face appropriate legal sanctions.

The unit has also come up with a newly-approved Program of Instruction for PSP training courses.

They include specialized courses for security guards, consultants, bank and armored guards, security manager, training officers, directors and instructors and security officers.