CCTV cameras are ideal but ’costly’ in town seaports, halls; Muntinglupa drug syndicate reaches Cebu
PDEA 7 Director Esperidion Javier suggests a workshop for mayors to step up security measures in all 30 ports and seaports. (CDN PHOTO / LITO TECSON)
Illegal drugs and robberies in Cebu towns drew the heaviest discussion in yesterday’s meeting of the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) 7.
Police reported a 21 percent drop in crime volume from January to July this year compared to year-ago levels.
But the drug menace remains a recurring threat and Gov. Hilario Davide Jr., RPOC chairman, wanted to know what could prevent a repeat of the unprecedented series of burglaries in four municipal halls of Compostela, Carmen, Sogod and Pinamungahan, where about P400,000 was taken in less than a week.
Are installing Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras effective in fighting crime, he asked.
“Honestly, those incidents were a slap in our faces,” said Supt. Renato Malazarte, deputy director for administration of the Cebu provincial police., about the town hall robberies.
Since municipal buildings are located near the police station, the government offices rely on this setup, and don’t spend for CCTV cameras or security guards.
Malazarte said CCTV cameras are a good way to monitor crimes, but fielding security guards is more efficient and effective.
He said the burglaries were still being investigated and that a report would be given to Davide by next week.
Monitor seaports
Esperidion Javier, OIC director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 7, encouraged towns to set up CCTVs or improve the capability of existing security cameras in seaports and bus terminals to monitor points of entry for drug operators.
If drug smugglers can’t enter Cebu territory, they can’t sell their goods, he told the council.
“I suggest we conduct a workshop for mayors and other local government representatives to enhance security measures in all 30 seaports and wharves,” he said. He said the workshop would also be a preparation for security in the 2016 elections.
Boundaries
Provincial Board Member Sun Shimura, chairman of the committee on peace and order, repeated his call to have CCTV cameras installed by each of the towns’ boundaries to enable law enforcers to monitor the entrance and exit of perpetrators.
The cost of installation would not exceed P50,000 each, he said.
But Tuburan Mayor Democrito Diamante, president of the League of Cebu mayors, pointed out that while all mayors want to do this, they are contrained by limited funds.
“Budget is a problem in every town. In our (Tuburan) case, it will be difficult for now. I think even first-class municipalities will have a hard time doing that,” said Diamante.
In south Cebu, Argao, Carcar city and Dalaguete are only a few of the localities that have installed CCTV cameras in strategic places.
The CCTV in the Dalaguete municipal hall provided video footage that helped trace the cars used by assailants of Cebu city lawyer Noel Archival by capturing the image of license plates and vehicles.
Esperidion of PDEA said his agency and local governments need to renew their partnership to reinforce the fight against illegal drugs.
Gov. Hilario Davide III discusses the burglaries in 4 Cebu municipal halls hall as he presides over a Regional Peace and Order Council 7 meeting at the Capitol. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)
Out of 1,066 barangays in Cebu, only half or a little over 500 barangay anti-drug abuse councils (BADAC) are active, he said.
Watching out for the entry of drugs in the Cebu port, one of the busiest in the country with 14.9 million passengers in 2010, is also priority, he said.
“If we enhance the security in these places, then we will be able to contain and constrict these people. Mahihirapan talaga sila (They will have a hard time),” said Javier.
At present, major seaports like the Cebu City harbor has X-ray machines and drug-sniffing dogs or K9 units.
Javier said the recent string of killings of policemen in the region, particularly Bohol, was an “indicator” of the drug menace.
“The real problem here is drugs, theft, and other crimes, and that is what we are trying to solve,” he said.
“Knowing the indicators and causes, we need to solve it. We’ve been in this battle for a long time,” he added.
He said PDEA is looking out for activities of a “Muntinlupa” drug syndicate operating out of the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa City, Metro Manila.
He gave no figures but Javier said the group’s presence in Cebu province is slowly gaining strength.
No couriers are used by the syndicate. Instead, the “package” of drugs is passed from person to person who communicate by mobile phone texting, he said.
He said each person does not know the identity of the other until they meet.
The contraband is placed in a container of Pringles potato chips and mixed with other goods with strong smells like “bagoong” (shrimp paste) to confuse K9 sniffing dogs.
Last July, the Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Commission, in coordination with the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation inc., launched the “Just Say No” program.
It aims to empower barangays and its constituents to be directly involved in solving their own drug issues.
The RPOC meeting was attended by Governor Davide, representatives from the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) Cebu chapter, PDEA, National Police Commission, Commission on Human Rights, among others.
Supt. Malazarte said aggressive law enforcement was responsible for the drop in crime volume in Cebu by 21 percent from January to July this year compared to year ago levels.
Physical injury tops the list of index crimes at 2,682 cases from January to July, followed by theft at 2,136, and then robbery at 936.
Declines were noted in each of the three categories which had more cases last year.
Physical injury cases dropped by 27 percent from 3,673 cases , theft by 26 percent from 2,893 cases , and robbery by 25 percent from 1,251 cases in 2013.
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