05 August 2005
Opinion: That arrogant PSU security chief
THE PEN SPEAKS
By Danny O. Sagun
That arrogant PSU security chief
DESPITE controversies hounding the administration of the Pangasinan State University, surprise, surprise—its president is still firmly ensconced in his seat. Some say he has the “right connect” to powers-that-be that no one can ever touch him. Protests or complaints by his fellow school officials and the students appear too weak to remove him. Or, who knows, he must really be legally and technically in the right and the charges were not substantiated beyond innuendoes?
Only last Friday, the PSU again figured in a controversy, although not directly involving the university president but his security force.
A certain Ferdinand Marquez who paraded himself as the security chief barred media reporters from entering the university campus. Violy Ferrrer of Super Radyo-Dagupan and Cesar Ramirez of Philippine Star saw for themselves how arrogant and ungentleman this Marquez was when he confronted them at the main gate demanding to know what business they have at the campus.
He asked them for some sort of endorsement by anyone from the university. They identified themselves as working media persons in the province and were there to cover the event – a dialogue with House Speaker Joe de Venecia and ribbon-cutting for the new information technology center. But Marquez was unconvinced, despite the IDs they showed him. If they force themselves in, he would bodily carry them away, he threatened.
Other mediamen soon arrived and they too suffered the same indignity in the hands of that Gestapo-like security guard. With raised and threatening voice, he taunted the group by shoving and waving his ID card before the very eyes of our colleagues when they tried to peer into his ID to identify him, Violy swears. Mader Helen of Radyo ng Bayan-Dagupan, Ding Micua of PNA, Eva Visperas of Phil Star and a TV reporter also got a taste of the guard’s misbehavior. He claimed he was just doing his job the same way the reporters were doing theirs.
We can only wonder if that guard, a security chief at that, underwent basic training on human relations? Obviously, he was very much unqualified yet he got the job.
After talking to someone on the phone, apparently a superior, he allowed the TV reporter in but not the cameraman. What, a TV reporter without someone to take the shoot? Violy claims she overheard him saying to no one in particular that she and the others could be pretenders as though to justify his actions.
Only when a teacher who personally knew Helen saw what was going on and interceded for them did the guard relent and allowed them to enter.
When our turn came later, the guards took a long time lifting the pole barrier on the gate. No need for us to identify ourself though as we were using the PIA vehicle with its bold letters at the side and the media ID of boss BFH hanging and very much visible on the windshield.
The media group is preparing a protest letter to the PSU administration.
The university president was supposed to hold a presscon with the media after lunch. No one in the group remained after that. They took the chance to interview the Speaker already after touring the newly –opened P12.5 million-De Venecia Information Technology Center.
By Danny O. Sagun
That arrogant PSU security chief
DESPITE controversies hounding the administration of the Pangasinan State University, surprise, surprise—its president is still firmly ensconced in his seat. Some say he has the “right connect” to powers-that-be that no one can ever touch him. Protests or complaints by his fellow school officials and the students appear too weak to remove him. Or, who knows, he must really be legally and technically in the right and the charges were not substantiated beyond innuendoes?
Only last Friday, the PSU again figured in a controversy, although not directly involving the university president but his security force.
A certain Ferdinand Marquez who paraded himself as the security chief barred media reporters from entering the university campus. Violy Ferrrer of Super Radyo-Dagupan and Cesar Ramirez of Philippine Star saw for themselves how arrogant and ungentleman this Marquez was when he confronted them at the main gate demanding to know what business they have at the campus.
He asked them for some sort of endorsement by anyone from the university. They identified themselves as working media persons in the province and were there to cover the event – a dialogue with House Speaker Joe de Venecia and ribbon-cutting for the new information technology center. But Marquez was unconvinced, despite the IDs they showed him. If they force themselves in, he would bodily carry them away, he threatened.
Other mediamen soon arrived and they too suffered the same indignity in the hands of that Gestapo-like security guard. With raised and threatening voice, he taunted the group by shoving and waving his ID card before the very eyes of our colleagues when they tried to peer into his ID to identify him, Violy swears. Mader Helen of Radyo ng Bayan-Dagupan, Ding Micua of PNA, Eva Visperas of Phil Star and a TV reporter also got a taste of the guard’s misbehavior. He claimed he was just doing his job the same way the reporters were doing theirs.
We can only wonder if that guard, a security chief at that, underwent basic training on human relations? Obviously, he was very much unqualified yet he got the job.
After talking to someone on the phone, apparently a superior, he allowed the TV reporter in but not the cameraman. What, a TV reporter without someone to take the shoot? Violy claims she overheard him saying to no one in particular that she and the others could be pretenders as though to justify his actions.
Only when a teacher who personally knew Helen saw what was going on and interceded for them did the guard relent and allowed them to enter.
When our turn came later, the guards took a long time lifting the pole barrier on the gate. No need for us to identify ourself though as we were using the PIA vehicle with its bold letters at the side and the media ID of boss BFH hanging and very much visible on the windshield.
The media group is preparing a protest letter to the PSU administration.
The university president was supposed to hold a presscon with the media after lunch. No one in the group remained after that. They took the chance to interview the Speaker already after touring the newly –opened P12.5 million-De Venecia Information Technology Center.
