It’s Terrible: A Newly Hired Security Guard Suddenly Made His Employer Bankrupt

Retired Army General and Mrs. Doe were operating their own security agency in
Metro Manila for over a year with its manpower of 700 field personnel who served
about 50 security clients. It ran so well that the old spouses were able to live
an extravagant life until they met a doom they had never expected.

One morning of Tuesday at their agency office, the HRD Manager was interviewing
an applicant SG John Doe, about 30 years old, 5’7 in height, well-built and
clean-cut. The interview includes submission of necessary papers, such as NBI and
PNP clearances, Neuropsychiatric and Drug Tests, Training and License Certificates
and other pre-employment requirements. Having been found qualified for the job,
with his documents verified complete and in order; he was eventually hired as
Security guard and was temporarily deployed in an on-going construction site.

SG Doe was given a 12-hour tour of duty which started at 6:00pm, and as far as his
duty was concerned, his guarding night ordinarily passed without any problem. He
was supposed to be relieved at 6:00am the following morning but unfortunately, the
next guard who was supposed to relieve him was not able to report for duty for an
unknown reason. As it was an emergency absence, the Security In-charge could not
be able to look for a replacement and further asked SG Doe to extend his tour of
duty for another 8-hour -which he did not contest.

His duty extension went on smoothly as if he were enjoying his new job, not until
pass 1:00pm when he got a text message from unknown sender, informing him that his
wife was caught by their son having sex with another man. He immediately asked his
In-charge for an emergency replacement so he could check on it but the former
failed to provide his reliever. And so he was forced to stay on with a heavy
heart.

SG Doe was seemingly agitated by the information he received through text message
and at around 3:00pm, he suddenly grabbed his 12.gauge shot gun and ran towards
the next post and - without provocation, shot dead his co-guard who was on-duty at
the administrative entrance. Thereafter, he rushed towards the Reception area and
fired to death at the lone visitor who was seated near the reception table. As if
he were not contented, he again ran towards the construction area where workers
scampered for cover, but one of them was hit by another bullet and laid dead.
Ironically, when the police arrived SG Doe did not resist the arrest and
voluntarily turned over his firearm and went calmly with the arresting officers.

For the next few days, the incident had formed part of the newspapers headlines -
in the Radio/TV news and other tabloids. “I was not in my normal mind when I did
it. I was probably in total delusion at that time because I’ve been on duty for
three consecutive days without eating”, so he claimed. The news and media
interviews immediately caught the attention of all existing security clients and
at no time, these clients gradually terminated their contracts with the agency and
looked for new security service providers. The security agency was forced to
engage into amicable settlement with the aggrieved parties. It paid almost a
million for the lives of the three innocent victims. It became the subject of
investigation of the local authorities, and the worse, the pull-out of security
guards from their original deployment due to the clients’ termination of contract
suddenly sent the agency into total bankruptcy.

What is the moral lesson in this story?

1. Never hire an irresponsible security In-charge who could not act in dispatch
in an emergency situation.
2. Double-check the mental records of the applicant and if necessary,
personally check with the Neuropsychiatries and Drug Testing Center where he got
the clearances.
3. Do background check on new applicants and do assess his previous employment
records.
4. To SG John Doe, never tell a lie to the media.
5. To the wife, don’t let your son catch you
6. To the agency, better luck next time..