Duterte welcomes approval of CCTV Camera Ordinance

Photo courtesy of Keith Bacongco

DAVAO CITY, Feb 11 (PIA)-- Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte welcomed the approval of the local ordinance requiring business establishments with a capital outlay of P3-million to set up closed-circuit television cameras in there respective establishment to deter and to monitor the occurrence of criminal incidents. 

Speaking in the public affair program, “Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa,” the Mayor said business owners must install high-quality CCTV cameras that can grab clear images of people and the inner and out perimeter of the establishments with corresponding security guards who can respond to imminent threat. 

He stressed that it is useless if business operators would only set up CCTV cameras only as deterrence. 

Duterte also disagreed on requiring authorities clearance from the business administration before they can see or get hold of the recording in their investigation. 

“It is an exercise in futility,” he pointed out. 

Duterte said that CCTV cameras must be installed in areas where they can see the faces of possible suspects who might use baseball caps to cover their faces. 

He said that in bigger establishment like malls, series of CCTV cameras must be installed with the corresponding monitor and a group of armed of security guards who can react with force in parity with the armed criminals. 

“Incidentally, security guards are oriented to deter people from stealing or to add a sense of security, and are not ready to shoot- it- out with hell-vent criminals,” Duterte said. 

He said a competent person must be assigned to monitor the scenes so that he can call the police immediately whenever a crime is in progress. 

Duterte said if business operators cannot put up with these suggestions, they would rather not buy and install CCTV cameras. 

Senior Superintendent Ronald de la Rosa, director of the Davao City Police Office said the local ordinance is a big boost to their anti-criminality campaign. 

He said the motion picture from the CCTV camera will be used as additional data in a criminal investigation. 

The Davao City CCTV Ordinance which was passed into law on its third and final reading last December 4, 2012 requires compliance from banks, pawnshops, restaurants, malls, hospital and other medical institutions, gaming cocpits, private transportation terminals operating on land, air and sea and within the city and applies to all profit and non-profit business enterprise including schools. 

It also imposes a maximum penalty at P5,000 for non-compliance. (RGA/JSD/PIA XI)