Casino internal security officers should be under PNP-SOSIA

Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop, chair of the House committee on public order and safety. (PNA photo)

MANILA — A lawmaker at the House of Representatives is pushing for the registration of all internal security units of licensed casino establishments in the country with the Philippine National Police-Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies (PNP-SOSIA).

Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop, chair of the House committee on public order and safety, made the proposal during a recent joint committee hearing on the security lapses during the Resorts World Manila (RWM) attack that left 37 people dead.

Acop proposed to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) to register the internal security units of all licensed casino operators with the PNP-SOSIA

Acop is also planning to come up with a bill to support his proposal, which gained the backing of Pagcor vice president Roderick Consolacion.

The Antipolo lawmaker cited the need to strengthen the competency of the internal security units of casinos after the House committees discovered lapses in security on the part of RWM.

Meanwhile, Muntinlupa City Rep. Rufino Biazon questioned the fire safety inspection certificate (FSIC) issued to RWM.

Biazon raised the issue of which agency has the authority to enforce the country’s fire code in establishments, including casinos, duly registered with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA).

“It is our firm belief that the Bureau of Fire (BFP) has the authority,” said Biazon.

He said the PEZA is prohibited from issuing FSIC without a memorandum of agreement with the BFP.

“It is our position that the law passed by Congress in 2008 is the one that is prevailing over the law of PEZA which was passed a decade before the fire code,” Biazon said.

Under Republic Act 9514 or the Revised Fire Code of the Philippines, the BFP is given the legal mandate to enforce the fire code of the country.