A BID to amend the Cebu City ordinance requiring business establishments to install closed-circuit television cameras (CCTVs) to include restaurants, fast food chains and residential areas is being pushed at the City Council.
The move to amend City Ordinance No. 2381 came amid the shooting attacks in the city, one of which was the murder of a Korean national inside a motel in Barangay Mabolo last Sunday.
Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak, who is one the councilors pushing for the amendment, said the objective of this amendment would be to help investigators to solve crimes especially amid the recent spate of killings in the city.
“We encourage and oblige the establishments that in case if there are crimes reported near their area, and were captured by their CCTV, we ask them to surrender the footage to solve these crimes and catch the suspects,” he said during the public hearing on the proposed amendment yesterday.
Councilor Joel Garganera also filed a proposed resolution amending the CCTV ordinance.
Although no business owners or those in the business sector attended the public hearing, Supt. Artemio Ricabo, Cebu City Police Office deputy city director for administration, was present to give his insights to the council on how CCTV footage could help them in solving crimes.
The ordinance was approved in 2014 but only in 2016, or two years later, when the city government came up with its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). But Tumulak said it is yet to be fully implemented.
First-time offenders will pay a fine of P3,000; P5,000 for the second offense; and revocation of business permit for the third offense.
On the other hand, Tumulak also urged the police to help the city government on monitoring non-compliant establishments.
“The one tasked to implement and monitor if the ordinance was being followed is the City Treasurer’s Office,” Tumulak said.
“We will ask help from the police by coming up with a list of establishments who complied, and those who didn’t. So that the CTO can send them a letter to warn them about the ordinance,” he added.