BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance requiring business establishments such as malls, supermarkets, groceries, convenient stores, restaurants, night sports, bars and other similar establishments operating in the city to provide security metal detectors in their entrances as a means to curb the proliferation of crimes and other forms of violence.
The ordinance authored by Councilor Leandro B. Yangot, Jr. stated all establishments operating in the city will be required to install security metal detectors in their entrances which will be a pre-requisite in the application for the issuance of new or renewal of their business permits.
Under the proposed ordinance, failure of the owners of the business establishments to comply with the provisions of the measure after due notice shall be fined P5,000 and the non-issuance of their business permits.
Article II, Section 5 of the Philippine Constitution provides that the maintenance of peace and order, the protection of life, liberty and property, and promotion of the general welfare are essential for the enjoyment by all the people of the blessings of democracy.
Section 16 of Republic Act 7160 of the Local Government Code of the Philippines states every local government unit shall exercise the powers expressly granted, those necessarily implied therefrom, as well as powers necessary, appropriate, or incidental for its efficient and effective governance, and those which are essential to the promotion to the general welfare.
Yangot claimed that news of violence in public places is becoming common and it seemed as if every day another shooting or terrorist attack hits the news, which cause alarm among ordinary residents within a certain place.
He noted that the places where the said crimes happen include malls, supermarkets, groceries, and night establishments, among others, and people keep debating what to do to prevent from happening crimes that compromise the city’s peace and order situation.
According to the proposal today’s security devices, such as metal detectors, can detect any item that can be used as a weapon. Albeit people moan whenever we have to wait in line at the airport, court house, malls, supermarkets, or other public places and people feel annoyed whenever it goes off over something simple as a set of keys, the maintenance of peace and order and the prevention of crime is of primordial consideration by the local authorities.
He said the proposed local legislative measure is being proposed to help prevent the occurrence of crimes in public places that will greatly compromise the prevailing peace and order situation and eventually ruin the growth of the local tourism industry.
Earlier, the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) also recommended to the local government to adopt the implementation, particularly the installation of sufficient metal detectors by business establishments, to serve as a deterrent to the commission of crimes in public places that will affect the city’s established image as one of the preferred tourist destinations in the country to date.
By Dexter A. See
