THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) urged cities and municipalities to enact ordinances prescribing the installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems as a requirement for the issuance of business permits to establishments catering to a large number of customers, and to those which are risk or hazard-prone.
Secretary Eduardo Año, who is the concurrent Chairperson of the National Peace and Order Council, said that as people return to their pre-pandemic ways, public safety must be a priority of LGUs and “CCTVs are applicable technologies that should be utilized to keep criminal activities and their perpetrators at bay.”
“Ngayon ang tamang panahon para i-require ang mga negosyo na mag-install ng CCTV. People are going out of their homes and in various establishments nowadays due to lower COVID-19 cases and a CCTV system is a powerful tool that can aid LGUs in ensuring public safety, deterring crimes, and identifying and apprehending culprits,” Año said.
“Kailangang pangunahan ito ng LGU partikular ng kanilang Sanggunian sapagkat malaki ang ambag nito [CCTVs] sa laban natin kontra kriminalidad,” he added. Through DILG Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 2022-060, Año said that among the establishments that should have CCTVs are financial establishments such as banks, pawnshops, money lenders, and money remittance services and the likes; business establishments with several branches and chains; shopping malls, shopping centers, supermarkets, wet markets; and, medical facilities such as hospitals, clinics, and laboratories.
Places of entertainment such as theaters, movie houses, perya, internet cafes, arcades and other areas that draw a considerable number of customers; airports, public transportation terminals, parking lots and other similar establishments that cater to a large number of vehicles; car dealerships, gasoline stations, vehicle maintenance/service stations; and other similar business establishments deemed necessary by the LGU should likewise have CCTV cameras, according to Año.
“Malaki po ang maitutulong ng business establishments sa pagpapanatili ng kaayusan sa kanilang mga komunidad sa pamamagitan nang pag-prioritize sa installation ng CCTVs sa kanilang mga negosyo. We must work in synergy towards a more peaceful community,” Año said.
Año said CCTV footages have always complemented the investigation of law enforcement units and have led to the resolution of many criminal cases. He said CCTVs aided in the investigation of high-profile cases producing vital leads for police investigators.
“We have already made significant strides in lowering the country’s crime rate in the last five years. It is imperative that we sustain this progress and enforce innovative policies that can further improve peace and order in our communities,” the DILG Secretary said.
DILG Undersecretary and Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said CCTV cameras must meet the upgraded guidelines set by the national government and the DILG.
