The Davao City Police Office (DCPO) on Tuesday reiterated its call for business establishments to abide by the amended CCTV ordinance which took effect February this year.
This advisory was issued after a condominium in downtown Davao, which became the scene of a double murder case last month, was found to be in violation of the policy.
DCPO Spokesperson PCapt Hazel Tuazon said the DCPO and the local government are mulling on possible charges for the responsible persons behind the establishment.
Tuazon said although the condominium did have CCTV cameras in place, these were non-functional.
The incident, she said, should serve as a painful reminder to the business sector not to take any expediencies with regard to security policies and regulations mandated by law.
The police captain said that CCTV systems are particularly useful not only in crime investigation but also in the prevention of criminal activity. As such, establishments, especially ones that serve many individuals on a daily basis, must follow the requirements laid the ordinance.
“Manawagan mi diri sa Davao City Police Office kay isa gyud ni ang CCTV na makatabang kung naay mga insidente na mahitabo sa isa ka area (We from the DCPO are really calling for this because as CCTV system is really helpful when incidents happen in a certain area),” Tuazon said in an interview over the Davao City Disaster Radio on Tuesday.
“Ato lang i-remind ang atong mga business establishment-owners na mu-follow lang ta kung unsay balaod na gimando sa atoang siyudad sa Davao kay gihimo ni siya para sa kaayohan sa tanan (We are reminding our business establishment-owners to follow the law enforced by the city as this is crafted for everybody’s welfare),” she said
City Councilor Luna Acosta, who is the principal author of the amended ordinance, said in a press conference on May 9 that establishments must abide by the amended CCTV ordinance not just to avoid fines, suspension, and even litigation but also to promote security and order in their respective communities.
The councilor also urged business owners to refer to the ordinance in determining ample specification of CCTV systems they are required to have installed. The number of cameras and storage capacity of the CCTV systems are also specified by the law according to the area and classification of business. CIO
