Davide asks LGUs to beef up town hall security

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III has urged the local government units in the province to assign security guards and install security cameras following the reported burglary incidents in four municipalities and one component city.

“LGUs should also install CCTV cameras especially ang sensitive areas within the municipality aron ma-enhance ang security sa kalungsoran. They should also consider hiring of security guards,” Davide told reporters.

The governor said the police should be visible near the town halls to discourage would-be criminals.

In a span of around two weeks, five burglary incidents involving LGUs have been recorded. These happened in the municipal halls of Sogod, Carmen, Compostela, and Pinamungajan. The city of Toledo was also not spared by the burglars.

Over P1 million was taken by still unidentified persons from Toledo City Treasurer’s office. Davide said he is not discounting the possibility that the incident was an inside job.

“Although I don’t want to speculate, but duna gyoy inside job siguro ni. Kinsa may laing nakahibalo nga dunay laing kwarta gitago sa treasurer’s office, sa vault? It’s got to be an insider. Mao na akong duda,” he told reporters.

Board Member Grecilda Sanchez, who heads the Provincial Board’s Committee on Budget and Appropriation, is proposing to invite the treasurers of the towns involved to shed light on the matter.  She also wanted to know why the treasurers keep large amount of money on a weekend when these can just be deposited to a bank.

“Ato silang pangutan-on and how we can help them. Naa untay policy ana nga di mag-keep ingon ana kadako nga cash,” she said.

Meanwhile, three employees of Toledo City government have been subjected to polygraph examination by the National Bureau of Investigation in connection with the burglary of the city treasurer’s office last Sunday.

NBI-7 director Max Salvador refused to reveal the results. The NBI is conducting a parallel investigation into the incident upon the request of Mayor Sonny Osmeña. — (FREEMAN)