79 courier branches face possible closure

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Treasurer’s Office is issuing today a notice to comply against 79 financial establishments that reportedly lack security measures.

City Legal Officer Jerone Castillo said the establishments have the same nature of business as that of LBC Express, whose branches that have no security guards and other features Mayor Michael Rama had ordered padlocked.

Castillo said the establishments would be given three days upon receipt of the notice to fulfill all requirements the city had set.

Failure to comply, particularly on the hiring security guards and surveillance cameras, would be considered already as violation of the terms and conditions of the business permit that City Hall issues.

Castillo said this would mean closure of the establishment.

Meanwhile, 20 LBC branches located outside malls that Rama ordered closed would no longer be padlocked after the courier firm obeyed and hired security guards.

“Wala nay closure because everything was rendered academic with the compliance and good faith that the LBC showed. There was compliance, so mapasalamaton gyod ta nila (for that we thank them),” Castillo said.

He said the CTO also made its own verification of the security compliance.

In a letter, LBC Express Incorporated Area Manager Sherwin Navarro informed Rama that their branches already complied and installed necessary security measures, such as but not limited to security guards.

“In connection with your directive for us to institute security measures to avoid hold-ups and any untoward incidents in our branches located in different areas in the city, we would like to inform you that these were already undertaken with compliance,” read part of the letter.

Navarro said all branches have already installed closed-circuit television cameras and deployed security guards since September 12. Also, he said, there is an on-going replacement of existing computer-based surveillance cameras to digital video recorder with high powered resolution cameras.

“We would like to assure you that we will, in all ways possible, strengthen our standards in securing the protection and welfare of our customers and associates inside our branches,” Navarro assured the mayor.—(FREEMAN)