Review security procedures, expert urges Cebuano firms

Last Monday’s foiled robbery attempt at a mall in Fuente Osmeña, Cebu City, should serve as a wake-up call for commercial establishments and businessmen to review and update their security procedures, a foreign security expert said yesterday.

“From a business point of view, I would take a look on what I would do differently. Would I be doing the same and put them at risk? What should I do differently?” said Stephen Cutler, president and CEO of the Official Global Control Corp. (OGC Corp.).

Cutler, a former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Asia-Pacific chief, was a keynote speaker of the 5th National Convention of the Philippine Society of Industrial Awareness held yesterday.

He said last Monday’s failed robbery may not spark a wave of robberies but it serves as a useful lesson for commercial establishment owners.

“I guess that’s what business leaders, SMEs, banks, people who deal with cash ought to look at. When I close my business in the evening, how do I take my cash to the bank? Am I being safe if I take the same route?” Cutler said.

Cutler urged local officials to work closely with business establishments within their area and coordinate with local police precincts.

He said the mayors should take the lead on this since they will be held responsible for everything that happens in their area.

For his part, retired major general Melchor Rosales echoed Cutler’s point saying companies should adopt a new mind-set in security procedures.

He said security guards need to undergo trainings as part of professionalizing their ranks.

He said security professionals should be included in the business continuity and business recovery plans of a company, whether it be peace and order or natural and man-made calamities like earthquakes and fires.

“Sixty percent of our land area is exposed to vulnerable hazards. And when these hazards occur, insurance is just a supplement. It’s not a substitute,” he said.

He said companies and government agencies must have coping measures, mitigation and vulnerability strategies to deal with these emergencies.

Rosales said security is a major marketing tool that can give employees and their clientele confidence.

“Companies and government agencies must have a recovery program to prevent these hazards because this can maximize business profits. It is just a matter of common sense,” he said. Correspondents Carmel Loise Matus and Rhea Ruth V. Rosell