CEBU, Philippines - Following the series of town hall burglaries, the Cebu Provincial Board yesterday recommended for all component cities and municipalities to install closed-circuit television cameras in strategic locations of their government buildings.
The PB passed the resolution sponsored by Board Member Jude Thaddeus Durano-Sybico following a fourth such incident this year, which this time victimized Pinamungajan town.
Last Sunday, Pinamungajan town lost around P430,000 in employees’ salaries and taxes to still unidentified burglars.
Pinamungajan Mayor Glenn Baricuatro said the incident was a wakeup call for all LGUs to place security guards within the municipal halls.
He said there was no security guard at the town hall considering that the police station was just a few meters away.
Because the police failed to notice the burglary, Vice Governor Agnes Magpale questioned why the town police did not realize that a burglary was taking place when its station is just a stone’s throw away from the municipal hall.
“Nangato’g ba ang mga pulis? Mao na ang atong ipatan-aw (Were the policemen sleeping? That is something we have to look into),” she told reporters.
She described as “ironic” that a local government unit office falls prey to such a crime.
Sybico’s resolution was in response to the burglary cases of the respective treasurer’s office of the towns of Compostela, Carmen, and Sogod of the fifth district of the province which he represents at the PB.
Sybico said proximity of the offices to police stations adds a dimension of paradox, even insult, because commission of such crimes ought to have been deterred by the presence of agents of the law.
“These incidents call for stronger self-initiated engagement and capacity-building on the area of security among local government units through the installation of new surveillance modalities and equipments such as but not limited to CCTV cameras,” he said.
A week ago, Carmen town lost P4,800; Sogod, P55,961.22 in revenues and another P31,550 in savings; and Compostela, P75,000 in taxes and other fees.
In all instances, the town halls do not have CCTV cameras and security guards. (FREEMAN)