Law Reform Advocacy In Promoting Industrial Peace In The Private Security Sector

Industrial peace within the private security sector. 

This is the main objective of the Philippine Association of Detective and Protective Agency Operators (PADPAO), under the leadership of Mr. Ramon Bergado and its consultant Mr. Alex P. Montañez. They were assisted by their legal counsel Atty. Evelyn De Matias, who drafted the proposed labor advisory to clarify the guidelines of Department Order 150, series of 2016 (Revised Guidelines Governing The Employment and Working Conditions of Security Guards And Other Private Security Personnel In The Private Security Industry) in relation to Republic Act 5487 (An Act To Regulate The Organization and Operation of Private Detective, Watchmen or Security Agencies).

Through a series of tripartite meetings between the employer and the labor sectors, the process of passing the proposal took almost one year and a half before it was finalized and approved by the legal department of the DOLE Bureau of Labor Relations headed by Director Ma. Consuelo Bacay. The private security sector, composed of the private security agencies, is very grateful for the issuance of the Labor Advisory No. 150, series of 2019 last December 27, 2019, through the support of former Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III and Undersecretary Benjo Santos Benavidez.

The team went through some challenges, but Atty. De Matias hurdled the legal issues with the conviction to pursue her advocacy of improving the working conditions of security guards and promoting industrial peace in the private security industry through law reform.

Among the major highlights of the advisory include strengthening the automatic crediting provision that will not require the approval of the principal to increase the wages of the security guards in every wage rate hike, timely payment of the principal to the security agencies to ensure the timely payment of wages of the security guards and their benefits, mandatory 20% agency fee to private security agencies, and enforcing the solidary liability of the principals for the unpaid wages of the security guards.