Legarda: We Must Promote A Culture of Safety

Senator Loren Legarda has urged private and public establishments all over the country to develop a culture of safety, stressing that disasters, whether natural or human-induced, can be prevented when necessary security and preventive measures are in place.

Legarda made the call following investigations revealing that there were indeed lapses in security and coordination on the part of the management of Resorts World Manila in Pasay City, enabling the perpetrator to infiltrate the premises and causing the death of 37 innocent people.

“Many innocent lives were lost, which could have been avoided if there were adequate and proactive security and safety measures. Let this painful experience serve as a wake-up call to all establishments, whether private or public, to be more proactive and responsible in securing our people. We must always be prepared to respond to any violence, possible terror attacks or natural hazards,” she stressed.

She added, “While we cannot secure the world 24/7, we can limit our exposure to risk if our security forces and the security personnel of privately owned establishments are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge. The safety of our people is our primordial concern. Hence, it is incumbent upon business owners, who invest millions or billions of pesos into malls or hotels or even government facilities such as tollways, highways, MRT or LRT, to strictly adhere to safety rules and regulations and be held responsible for the safety of their staff and customers alike.”

The Senator also underscored the importance of close coordination between public and private sector, calling law enforcement authorities to use intelligence information wisely and judiciously to secure our people and to ensure quick response at all times.

“As Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, I enjoin and challenge our Philippine National Police (PNP) leadership to deliver peace, order and security to the entire country. We give you the budget that you require for intelligence, among others. We need to see how these funds are being utilized for the protection of our people. Let us use intelligence information not just from the PNP but also from other government agencies, all of which should be gathered together under the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA). There must be wise utilization of intelligence information to be used for proactive preparedness against human-induced tragedies,” said Legarda.

“If there were competent and properly-trained personnel and adequate security facilities such as exhaust system and fire safety devices, we could have prevented unnecessary deaths in this recent tragedy. That is why we have to move beyond simple compliance to a culture of safety to ensure nothing like this ever happens again in the future,” Legarda concluded.