Detective Stories: Uncovered

by: Melvin R. Royo

People nowadays have been fascinated with what they see in the movies, primetime television programs and even what they read from the best-selling books relevant to detective and investigative works. Movies that portray James Bond character with a “Mission Impossible” job, television series like “CSI (Crime Scene Investigation)” on Studio 23 or even the local television series “Palos” on ABS-CBN.

Even children are mesmerized. Some think of going into detective works in the future because of the glamorous role a private eye does. With the most romantic tandem in the places never been gone, passionate escapades of lovers, state of the art gadgets and equipment, rogue settings and dangerous but exciting adventures.

The job of a private eye, therefore, is not that easy as the movie actors and actresses portray – positive result at the end at all times. A private eye needs to focus on the mission and be committed to quality service by positive and truthful reporting. And with extra diligence, hard work and continuous training in order to preserve the dignity and integrity the company he represents, thus, serving well the clienteles and supersede if not quantify their payments for the service. Likewise, to go beyond with the other companies, which render the same services.

Unlike in the movies, private eye actors have several takes before completing a certain scenario. In reality, a private detective has only one take to do an investigation. Natural acting prowess or good cover stories to cope
with the environment where he conducts investigation should be taken into consideration.

Take for example the story of a female private eye from the country’s number 1 private detective company, wherein she posed as an undercover agent to confirm if the subject's relationship with his former paramour rekindled. She was assigned as the subject's secretary who receives his calls. One day, a call came from a woman with instructions for the subject to meet her at a hotel lobby at 4:30 pm. She gave her nickname but refused to give her number. The agent informed the subject right away about it but he did not make any comment. When he went to the restroom, the agent sneaked at once into his office, then peeked into his digital diary which she had been mastering how to operate. She retrieved the file of his daily schedule and found out that the woman who just called up was indeed his former lover. The subject left the office at 4:15 p.m. Meanwhile, the hotel was just a few blocks away from his office. The agent called up the hotel at 4:30 p.m. and asked the hotel staff to page the subject. When he was already on the line confirming that the subject was there with the woman, the agent tipped off the other operatives right away so they could carry out surveillance at once.

Diligence and courage are needed to make a positive output in every job. Fear of getting burn out during the operation should have no place in mind. A private eye should always think of positive things to radiate positive outcome. There was another private eye from the same company who shared her story. The mission was to catch the subject in the act of infidelity. The client joined the operation. The client’s husband and suspected paramour were delegates in a conference at a five-star hotel. The agent and her team checked in at the hotel to easily coordinate with the client who was also discreetly following the subject so she could catch him in the act. At the convention, the operatives closely monitored the movements of the subject especially during breaks after each session. The members of the surveillance team stood by at the lobby so they could tail the subject and the suspect at once if ever they leave the area. The operatives followed the subject on his way to his room at the sixth floor where the former also occupied a room. The operatives’ was at the right wing such that the subject’s door was visible from the verandah. About fifteen minutes later, the operatives saw the suspect walking along the hallway leading to the subject's room. The agent coordinated with the client at once who was staying at a nearby hotel. The client knocked on the subject’s door and after a few minutes, the subject opened the door wearing an expression of surprise and disbelief. The client did not see the suspect at once, so she searched for her and later found the latter hiding inside a closet.

Needless to say, a lot of companies are now rendering detective and investigation services. However, choosing the best one could be confusing – considering the high cost and how each company’s operational plan goes. As Capt. Conrado G. Dumlao, the President of the country’s Best Private Detective Company, Truth Verifier Systems, Inc., always says, “In Investigation and Detective Work: Mag-ingat sa Mura (Beware of cheap).” This is in connection with the emergence of the fly-by-night firms offering a much cheaper service but with no guaranteed good outcome. A lot of factors must be considered in choosing a detective company. In order to have security in times of any untoward incidents, the agency must have a PNP License to Operate (Under Republic Act 5487). The agency must also have at least 30 licensed private detectives who have passed the Private Detective Course and have complied with the PNP prerequisites. For security of service, the company must also strictly adhere on secrecy discipline and secret privileged communication of the job. Likewise, to get the company the best and guaranteed services, there must have a written contract in order not to encounter artificial obstructions caused by complicated and undocumented agreement. Another important factor to consider is the track record of the company. To mention, TVSI is awarded by the Philippine National Police as the Hall of Fame Best Private Detective Agency for being the most consistent recipient of the said award in 1999, 2006 and 2007. It is also ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company.

The company’s ultimate goal is to give utmost satisfaction to clients by exceeding what is expected at a low cost of service. To quote Capt. Dumlao’s words, “to render a high value service with cheaper, better and faster report.”