Rama presses closure of unguarded LBC outlets

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama yesterday ordered the City Legal Office to issue notices for the temporary closure of LBC outlets in the city with no security guards.

The order came a week after Rama warned the courier company to hire security guards and install Closed Circuit TV cameras.

The notices will be sent out on Monday.

There are 30 LBC outlets in Cebu City.

City Attorney Jerone But Castillo clarified that the suspension would be temporary and would be lifted as soon as the management provides adequate security.

They will be given five days to comply or else City Hall will study the possible permanent closure of the branches, he said.

“With the incidents of continued robberies, there is basis for the mayor to invoke police power and the general welfare clause under the Local Government Code, to secure clients, residents and others against possible harm and injury,” Castillo said.

Last Thursday, the mayor together with Senior Supt. Noli Romana, the city’s chief of police, inspected LBC outlets in barangays Punta Princesa, Bulacao and Escario. The three had CCTV cameras.

He said the legal office is preparing notices for the temporary closure of LBC branches without any guards, except those inside malls which already have guards.

Rama said an official from LBC visited him Thursday evening to ask the mayor not to implement the order yet.

Police power

“I told them you better get security. Later on, you can discuss within the area to have common security. That means, one or two (guards), they should pool their resources,” Rama added.

The mayor said his order should send a message to other businesses to make sure they have enough security measures.

Call for necessity

“It will be a security nightmare if they can’t put up enough security measures. What if their clients will be shot by robbers? Who will be blamed? It’s usually the police and the city for not being able to prevent the crime,” Castillo said.

“Other similar businesses like M Lhuillier, Cebuana Lhuillier and Palawan Pawnshop have security guards. What difference is it for LBC? There is a call for necessity now that they should help secure their employees and clientele,” he added.

Castillo said there is also a Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) circular which requires banking offices to be manned by “adequate” security personnel.

While there is no expressed provision to have guards for establishments with quasi-banking functions like LBC, Castillo said there should still be security measures for them.

While they already have working closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, several LBC branches in Cebu City still don’t have security guards.

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