City councilor targets CCTV violation cases

A DAVAO City Councilor announced plans to take legal action against violators of the Amended Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Ordinance.

First District Councilor Luna Acosta, who chairs the peace and public safety committee responsible for the ordinance, bared this during the ISpeak media forum on Thursday morning, May 9, 2024, at the City Mayor’s Office.

“We are actually looking into filing a case against the violators of this ordinance,” she said.

She said that they are currently preparing the necessary documentation for these cases, which underscores the seriousness of the local government’s commitment to implementing the ordinance.

“This is one of the priority legislation of our Mayor Sebastian ‘Baste’ Duterte sabi niya talaga (who emphasized that) we need to update the CCTV system of Davao City,” she said.

“So magtulungan tayo para hindi na mangyari yung mga incidences na kung kelan kailangan natin yung CCTV footage wala tayong makita (So let’s work together to prevent incidents where we desperately need CCTV footage but have none),” she said.

She confirmed they are waiting for official filing against identified violators and hinted at ongoing investigations by various agencies, without revealing specific establishments.

“As of yesterday lang kasi kami nag-decide na mag-file ng case, we are still waiting on the data from the DCPO [Davao City Police Office], the PSSO, and the Business Bureau ug pila gyud atoang kasohan pero for sure naay isa (As of yesterday, we decided to file cases and are awaiting data from the DCPO, PSSO, and Business Bureau to determine the number of violators, but there is certainly at least one),” she said.

Initial inspections occurred after business permits were issued, and upcoming inspections will focus on smaller establishments. Acosta mentioned they are coordinating with the Public Safety and Security Office (PSSO) and Business Bureau for further inspections.

Under Section 13 of the ordinance, non-compliance can result in business permit sanctions, fines up to P5,000, and imprisonment for CCTV tampering. The amended ordinance was approved on November 21, 2023.

The need for updated CCTV systems was highlighted by a recent case where CCTVs could have expedited investigations into a tragic incident involving a couple found deceased in their rented unit. /