MANILA, Philippines?Mikey who?

?I have never met Mikey Arroyo in my entire life. I only see him on television,? the head of the country?s only umbrella group of watchmen and security agencies said yesterday as he questioned the right of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo?s elder son to represent security guards in Congress.

Ramon Bergado may know whereof he speaks. He is the president of the Philippine Association of Detective and Protection Agency Operations Inc. (Padpao), composed of nearly 2,000 security agencies and some 410,000 licensed watchmen.

Padpao is the only duly registered group of security guards and security firms created through Republic Act No. 5487, police said.

Bergado said that Juan Miguel ?Mikey? Arroyo did not consult his group when he aspired to become the nominee of Ang Galing Pinoy (AGP), a party-list group that also claims to champion the rights of security guards and tricycle drivers.

Bergado said he was not aware of any relationship of Arroyo with other members of Padpao group and if the former President?s son was supported by security guards as he claimed.

?In my capacity as president of Padpao, I don?t know if he ever talked with our members individually (prior to the May elections),? Bergado told the Inquirer over the phone.

?All I can say is that officially, Padpao members did not campaign for Mikey Arroyo and his group.?

Support for Diwa

According to Bergado, Padpao supported the Diwa (Democratic Independent Workers Association) party-list group, which also won a seat in the recent elections. Diwa represents security guards and farmers who are not protected by organized labor groups and unions.

Its first nominee is Emmeline Aglipay, daughter of former Philippine National Police chief Edgardo Aglipay. The Aglipay family owns the Emeritus and Emirates security agencies, two of the country?s biggest private security companies.

?Padpao supported Diwa through a resolution adopted unanimously by the board of directors and its members,? Bergado said.

Bergado said Padpao was not keen on questioning AGP?s accreditation, saying they would rather wait for the decisions of the courts and the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) on the disqualifcation cases filed against AGP.

Right person?

He, however, stressed that party-list nominees should be members of the groups they purportedly represent 90 days before the elections.

?Anybody can claim that they represent a certain group. It?s their right to do so. But do they really represent the interests of the (group)?? he said.

Asked for his opinion on Arroyo?s case, Bergado said: ?He has the right to run (as AGP nominee). I cannot question him on that. Whether he was the right person to represent the group, that?s another thing. Claiming is another thing.?

Mikey moves

?Besides, it?s water under the bridge now. Let?s just wait for the court?s decision on his case,? he said.

Apparently to show that he deserved to be their man in Congress, Arroyo has met with the bosses of some security guards and scheduled a separate meeting with tricycle drivers.

In a meeting with the heads of different security agencies Thursday night at his Filipino-Spanish restaurant along Macapagal Boulevard in Pasay City, Arroyo told them about the concerns relayed to him by security guards who were not getting the right salaries as well as health and pension benefits.

The security agency owners deplored the rise of fly-by-night security agencies which purportedly offer cut-throat rates at the expense of their employees.

?There are some small security agencies, fly-by-night actually, who defy accepted industry rate just to get clients,? according to former Police Chief Inspector Carlo Manuel, owner of the Bahaghari Security Agency. ?They cut their prices so low that they cannot afford to pay their employees right and remit to the SSS.?

Former Police Supt. Jobeth Asayao, owner of T957 Security Agency, said these illegal security agencies should be stopped because they were exploiting security guards who were desperate for jobs.

Arroyo said he would raise their concerns with the Security Agencies and Guard Supervision Division (SAGSD) of the Civil Security Group (CSG) by urging its officials to tighten its monitoring of the industry and revoking the licenses of violators.

?They are no different from illegal job recruiters preying on helpless jobseekers,? Arroyo said.

Philhealth benefits

Arroyo said he would pursue his commitment to facilitate the security guards? applications for Philhealth membership and provide free legal help to those seeking fair treatment from their agencies.

Other security agencies at the meeting were Shooters Security Agency, 1st Eagle Security Agency, Eslabon Security Agency and Water Dragon Security Agency.

Arroyo plans to meet soon with representatives of tricycle operators and drivers associations.

On Thursday, tricycle driver Danilo Antisipado petitioned the HRET to disqualify Arroyo, questioning the former congressman?s eligibility as party-list representative.