Rama: Businessmen also to blame for lax security

CEBU - Acting Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama yesterday said that some robberies can be blamed on the business owners themselves for failing to beef up the security of their establishments.

“Security is very essential for the business. Nindot man usab kon makatigum ta og daku-daku nga ganansya apan kon magdaginot g’yod ta, basin og matulis lang usab ta,” Rama said in reaction to the robbery incident victimizing an uptown jewelry shop Tuesday.

The seven robbers armed with assorted firearms easily disarmed the lone security guard manning the Golden Treasures-Best of Jewelry before they broke the glass display cases and carted away the estimated P1 million worth of jewelry.

Rama said aside from not hiring enough number of guards to protect the business, some businessmen do not have alarms in their establishments.

Rama said the city had spent millions of pesos for the purchase of electronics alarm system that Mayor Tomas Osmeña described it as very effective, but only a few of the businessmen have availed of its services.

The Mobile Alarm Response System (MARS) that is based at the rooftop of the City Hall building can be acquired by the businessmen for just P2,000 a month.

Clients of MARS is provided with an electronics gadget that has a button that needs only to be pressed and it will quickly trigger an alarm to the base at City Hall, which in turn will send the alarm to the police in just a matter of seconds.

Rama also instructed Councilor Augustus Pe Jr., chairman of the City Council’s committee on peace and order, to meet with the police authorities to find out whether the Oplan Universe is still working.

Policemen in different stations of the city have been instructed to conduct Oplan Universe – by conducting checkpoints in designated areas of their territorial jurisdiction – every time there is big-time robbery or murders.

The purpose is to apprehend the fleeing criminal elements, but Rama believes that Oplan Universe is not properly working now because the robbers successfully eluded arrest after the heist.

The acting mayor also tasked Councilor Sylvan Jakosalem, chairman of the City Council’s committee on transportation, to coordinate with the cellphone providers for better effective communication to the police every time there is a crime.

Rama suggested that cellphone holders can be allowed to use their phones – free of charge – to call the police in Cebu City by dialing 166 when they need police assistance.

“Daghan na kaayo ron sa mga tawo nga duna nay cellphone mao nga magamit na kini pagtawag og polis kon may panginahanglan, dili kay mangita pa kita’g landline phone,” Rama said. — Rene U. Borromeo/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)