Councilor wants houses to have security cameras
To ensure safety, a Cebu City councilor wants to require all commercial, residential and public establishments to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in their premises.
In his draft legislation, Councilor Joel Garganera said there is a need to expand the scope of City Ordinance (CO) 2381, which provides the minimum standards for a CCTV system within the city.
“It is necessary that such CCTV cameras will not only be installed in commercial establishments, but also to encourage the installment of the same in residential and public establishments in order to assist in the enforcement of the laws,” reads a portion of the measure.
Under the proposed ordinance, if a crime takes place within the immediate vicinity of an establishment, the owners and/or management shall surrender to the nearest authorities the surveillance tape covering the period when the incident happened.
The aggrieved party may also request from the police to view the captured footage, or request a copy of the tapes. Provided, however, that the footage not be published, aired on television, nor posted on the internet.
Those who refuse or fail to surrender surveillance tapes to the proper authorities within reasonable time without justifiable cause will have to pay a fine of P5,000 or the court may also order jail time.
Garganera wants the business permit and licensing section of the City Treasurer’s Office to send personnel to inspect establishments covered by his draft ordinance.
A special sticker shall be posted by the inspection team on establishments and residential subdivisions and condominiums that have complied with the measure.
An establishment found to have not yet installed a CCTV system shall be subject to a second inspection within 30 days from the date of the first inspection.
If the proposed legislation is approved by the mayor, all business establishments and residential areas will be given some 120 days to install CCTV cameras. Violators will have to pay a fine of P3,000.
The councilor also wants the City Government to issue a closure order for business establishments, and revoke the development permit of the subdivision or condominium that continue to violate the measure.
Garganera’s ordinance has been referred to the committee on laws for their comment.
Under the proposed ordinance, if a crime takes place within the immediate vicinity of an establishment, the owners and/or management shall surrender to the nearest authorities the surveillance tape covering the period when the incident happened. Those who refuse or fail to surrender surveillance tapes to the proper authorities within reasonable time without justifiable cause will have to pay a fine of P5,000 or the court may also order jail time.