Among other contents of this blog post is to tender some sort elucidation as to the true nature of works of individuals involved in security protection undertakings, and also to provide tips on the security taken to ensure the safety of the Very Important Person (VIP) or other individual who in some other sense highly likely expose to a seeming personal threat due to their political status, celebrity status, wealth, involvement-alliance or environmental site.

Bodyguards as commonly called here in the Philippines, however, is not true in other countries such as the United States of America (USA) and European Union (EU), the same is professionally called as Executive Protection Detail (EPD) means the elements comprising the security detail, and Executive Protection Specialist is name for every person who comprises the security detail.

In all modesty and in due respect to those expert in the field of security protection, I humbly tender my centavo know-how about security protection consideration, which the same I’ve obtained through my former work being a civil servant, who once upon a time has the opportunity to serve my country in a way that only a few people have. I share the same in an informal and brotherly atmosphere on how I experienced and on the ideal way of executing the same, which ably gained the same thru trainings seminars and actual engagements.

        Why bodyguards are employed? For years the world and so in particular the business people, personalities and politicians setting in the portals of power in the Philippines have recognized the need and thus employed a competent professionals who can actually deal with multifaceted security issues that threaten to their lives and the assets of corporations, governments, and public and private institutions. As the emphasis on protecting people, property, and information increases, it has strengthened the demand for professional people to take on the challenge. 

Worthy to mention securing INFORMATION as among other works of the Executive Protection Detail in the truest sense of the word and now also extend to information which to include computer security. 

         I may humbly say and surprise that some of us got hold of the thinking that the real world of VIP security protection detail or fondly called as bodyguards are often depicted in the movies as the muscular build. Carrying pistolize machine gun and endowed with martial arts talent in the like of Bruce Lee, Jet Lee or those that  we personally witnessed among the bodyguards of local politicians in the provinces here in the Philippines with “steely eyed looks,” tough and ugly wearing jacket. 

In the real world, however, they are the “professional paranoids” who keep their VIPs/Clients or their Principals safe and alive more by using their brains more so intuitive mind, and not just brawn. The VIP security people should be experts in both defensive and offensive weaponry.  However, their primary weapons should be their wits and the ability to exercise fine judgment on the spur of the moment during dangerous situations.  They must have high level of poise, intelligence, and flexibility to enable them to blend into some advanced social situations, thus avoid being annoyances and source of embarrassment to their VIPs/clients/Principals.

Simply put, the focal undertaking of an Executive Protection Detail resonate to a multifaceted attempt of being a servant and at the same moment a master. This is because in a way that the VIPs/Clients’/Principals per se control the movements such that on where to go and what will he/she do--but as an Executive Protector in simple term and reverence will thereby insist on how the VIPs/Client’s/Principal to get there at the meeting site/venue/rendezvous in all respect with safety and security consideration, and within the terms of the domain of the Executive Protection Detail. The member of the Executive Protection Detail/Security Escort is a servant because primarily employed to defend the very person of the VIP/Client/Principal, to his immediately family to include the family home. Moreover, the Executive Protector/Security Escort is therefore obligated to further keep up to insist that the VIPs/Client’s/Principal will obey to the letter of the instructions/orders without hesitation in view of the security and safety considerations.    

   On the other hand, Protector/Security Escorta is master in a sense that the same is obligated to insist upon the person of the VIPs/Client’s/Principal on where and on how to go in arriving on the desired directional route and on what security mode of transportation best suited vis-à-vis security consideration.   

       So here we can decipher that there is a presence of a delicate balance of attempt in the domain of the Executive Protection Specialist. And in attaining a smooth working relationship and as an inherent order of things to be done, and it should be as a matter of process that the very person of the VIPs/Client’s/Principal should be ready to take orders/directions directly from the Executive Protection Detail/Security Escort.

It may sound illogical that the VIPs/Client’s/Principal should take orders/direction from someone he/she employed! Really, it may sound illogical and revolting to the conscience in view of the natural course of employer-employee relationships. However, in the engagement of the Executive Protection Detail and undertaken in its strictness and truest process, the same is not illogical.

      Moreover, for the Executive Protector/Security Escort it somehow requires the skills of a military specialist, but above all the one in most situations endowed with the talents and skills of a diplomat, thus has a mind. The same does not necessarily to become the best yet must learn the most.       

     The Executive Protector/Security Escort people should not only be able to physically counter life threatening acts, but more importantly, be able to “read” people and situations.  They should be able to expect possible avenues of attack and then act to avoid places and cut the times where and when their VIPs will be vulnerable. Be it known that assassins and kidnappers are themselves professionals. Their planning is meticulous and their execution of plans precise.  Capitalizing mainly on the elements of secrecy, surprise and superior intelligence, they will only manifest themselves during the real strike. Their identities, however, will remain unknown for sometime.

         In this juncture we can simply deduced and from the time-honored saying which to say that it takes a pro to counter a pro, it is therefore necessary for ExecutiveProtector/VIP Security Escort to beprofessionals themselves.

            I assumed that in view of the foregoing shared-input, one has the opportunity to learn the difference between “bodyguard” work and professional personal protection. In due adherence to providing effective tips on security while balancing multiple responsibilities and some sort of things to consider to those tasked to defend/protect the VIPs/Client’s, hereunder are points to ponder, which I assume significance in Bodyguards Philippines:

·        Never promise your hands:In a situation which we have to project: three men were bunched together in front of a door, while the VIP/Principal is inside of the room, let us just assume. The first escort had his hand in his pockets. The second inhaled from a cigarette, while the third sipped a cup of hazel nut premium coffee. Accordingly, the three were the “bodyguards” of a politician.

Further, to describe the physical appearance of the three “bodyguards”: they were built like football players, their suits too tight for their bullish necks and cheeks. They’d be intimidating to a non-professional, but their bulk made them too conspicuous to blend with a crowd, and they looked too muscular-bound to be able to respond instantaneously to a crisis.

·        Professionally Deal with Privilege Information: Any information/remarks or in a way getting to know the virtual attitude of the VIP/Principal, which the same obtained in line with the security engagement all are just confession, and every members of the security detail/team is like a Priest with respect to the information thus obtained.

·        Avoid huge windows whose draperies are open: In this scenario it give an enemy assassin/kidnappers an unnecessary advantage, inciting easy invasion with telescope, microwave-beamed listening probes, and most crucial, sniper bullets.

·        Proper way to Dress Up: Wear clothes to match your surroundings, but never choose a suit/attire that’s more elegant than your Principal/VIP. Clothes that can really blend the area crowd of real engagement.

        Be that as it may, in the security protection domain, the Executive Protector/Security Escort may never know how many attacks he has repelled in the effect of complying the job with the letter and spirit of doing the same. Nevertheless, mistakes serve as clear reminders of the things to happen when Executive Protector/Security Escort team failed to do in a way it should to be. Be it reminded also that mistakes happen, that is why they put erasers on the ends of pencils. It’s not the end of the world. Let’s learn from the errors of the past and move on for the future.

Privacy is a simple word to hear and to define the same in one virtual understanding. In the Philippines no less than its constitution ordained and pronounced the protection to privacy viz security of every person. And reading the topic in the 1987 Philippine Constitution, it can be gleaned that persons protected therewith applies to all persons, whether accused of a crime or not.

The right of the people to secure in their persons, that to say the least even of P-Noy, the President of the Philippines wants to enter your house and it happens you refuses, there and then, P-Noy can’t force nor endowed with legal basis to go into your abode.

Additionally, not only your houses are thus protected but to include papers and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures. All of these long been reflected and among the laws and statutes displayed in every bookstores shelves. For an advice, every person/person including an alien tourist should also try to know thy rights while living and sojourning in the archipelagic place otherwise known as Philippines. [If ever you wish to get hold of this law just log in www.supremecourt.gov.ph]

Accompanying statement or phrase embodied in the aforesaid constitution is the same should not be violated in whatever nature and for any purpose. By and large, all things/stuffs mentioned above are fact indicating that privacy and security have place in the heart of every governmental organ of the state.

So now how secured are we if we talk and seemingly thresh out about Digital Privacy and Security? Maybe one can stop; look and listen thereby ponder a moment to consider the query, and I hope so it has relevance and materiality in view of those who always visit and thus live in the digital or virtual world.

Digital Privacy and Security so are complicated concern to deal with in the domain of digital or virtual world otherwise fondly called as Electronic Highway. Even books/ebooks and resources abound thereat whether in physical library or in a virtual one, eloquently and in detail tapped and discussed personal privacy and security in the age of the Internet. However, in its finale, privacy and security is personal, and the comprehensive answer in the above-cited query depends largely on YOU, the person involved.

Nevertheless, it is crystal clear that the virtual concept of privacy and security, the threats to it, and the means to make it, are immensely changing as a resultant quest of man vis-à-vis computer based-lives. One may surely asked why is this so/or how it works in our everyday lives?

We should rehearsed, shall we say thirty years back or in the Philippines in just only twenty (20) years, therein privacy and security used to be achieved thru the pure friction of everyday life. That is to show, the time, the distance, and the lack or inaccessibility of records. Information didn’t travel so well, and most the populace who wanted to escape their personal past could simply move to a new area without a trace sometimes. That is to say then, greater part of activities or things people did then produced no trace or paper trail and records, and if ever there were records existed on paper, the same was hard to find, insurmountable face to duplicate, moreover, the same was then subject to being place in the dash-bin of nowhere, faded or if not beyond the commerce of man as my former professor fondly mentioned the same.        

In today’s contemporary realities viz digital era, the picture has change relative to privacy and security. One can escape thru the net, however, in the same time your actions and words can easily catch up with you, in the same breath thru the Net. And to say the least, it’s not exclusively the Net yet it’s the electronic toll roads--- how it works: exactly one knew when you leaved on the conference/meeting/venue; know what hotel you went to--thru your credit card transactions; thru vendor databases on what book you bought, mobile phone records--whom you called, and there are plenty of things or shall we called it working module just to track you in. Even at work, your arrival and departure time now is simply recorded.

For now and years to come, data collection made easy in every angle of living and scary it may seem since it has the capability to combine. And I may tender my sense of thought that someday someone might put the right or wrong collated information together to seek out information or in similar passion of knowing more than you want them to know.

And so we may know surely on what will be then the best solution via-a-vis digital privacy and security in the Philippines digital or virtual world residents or sojourners? Does it need a correlative legislation in addressing the same? Or some sort of virtual knowledge on Digital Privacy and Security?

Note Well: If ever you wish to place your relative advice, please don’t hesitate to tender your comment in whatever tune and form.

Moreover, the writer of above written article wishes and asks your kind try if you wish to edit in its syntax is encourage. Thanks