■ MANDAUE ASKS CITIZENS TO PUT UP MORE SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS

Mandaue City Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna encouraged owners of residential and commercial establishments in the city to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras not just inside, but also around their houses or buildings.

In line with the city’s aim to identify and arrest riding-in-tandem criminals, Fortuna said that police checkpoints will also be done regularly in Mandaue.

A recent spate of attacks shows “there are a lot of loose firearms in the city. Perhaps, the most effective way of ensuring that the authorities get those loose firearms is to conduct regular checkpoints. With or without upcoming elections, it should be regular,” said Fortuna.

The City Government is implementing a prohibition on masks among motorcycle drivers to deter crimes by riding-in-tandem assailants and help the police track down suspects. Since the ordinance was implemented last March 12, four persons have been killed by perpetrators who used motorcycles as their getaway vehicle.

Since Mandaue already has a policy for establishments to install CCTV cameras, the vice mayor asked the owners to also put these outside their buildings to monitor sidewalks, detect movements of people and help the authorities trace suspected criminals. Fortuna recalled that when a Korean national was killed on A. S. Fortuna St. last February, the gunman was traced even when the victim was still in Lapu-Lapu because of the CCTVs.

“This is my appeal to the community. Fighting crime is not just the responsibility of the government. Fighting crime is the responsibility of everyone,” Fortuna added.