Creating a Specialized Government Security Body to Guard the Transport Sector

The passage of the “Human Security Act” or the law penalizing the act of terrorism is the country’s response to society’s call to radically suppress and deter the emerging global threat to terrorist attacks. Over the years it has become apparent that the commonalities among heinous crimes were perpetrated oftenly on crowded places like the transport system. That is why the international community has made urgent recommendations for the adoption of global security standards in the different modes of transport systems in all nations so as to protect and preserve safety of the passengers.

One way of complying to the set standards is to adopt the International Maritime Organization (IMO), International Ship and Port Security Code (ISPS Code) and Annex 17 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which set the mandated global security framework.

If we are to craft a separate law and have a focused program to deter criminal activities in the transportation sector, the same should complement and be consistent with the Human Security Act by way of providing a comprehensive transportation security safeguard mechanism covering air, land, rail and water transport system. The program should be spearheaded by an independent body which may be called Philippine Transportation Security Administration (PTSA), a body that can be installed under the auspices of the Department of Transportation and Communications.

An ideal structure is to have separate bureaus to administer the various transport security services that will micromanage each transport sector including divisions to perform functions from intelligence gathering, training to skills development of transportation security personnel.

While the transportation security body with its comprehensive security program will be designed to explicitly combat high profile terrorist perpetrators; the daily bus, jeepney and taxi passengers should likewise be covered by the scheme to assure regular commuters of protection from common street criminals like snatchers, pickpockets and hold uppers, as these simple yet gruesome felonies should also be eradicated.

Through the creation of PTSA, we will definitely deliver a positive signal to the international community that our country will not only be amongst the safest travel destination in Asia but in the world.