Muntinlupa gov’t wants more CCTV cameras in city

To combat crimes, the Muntinlupa government has amended an ordinance which will result in the installation of more closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the city.

In a statement, the local government unit said the move was prompted by the need to expand Ordinance No. 04-011, which requires banks to install alarm systems, and Ordinance No. 11-046, which makes it mandatory for all business and commercial establishments to install CCTV cameras within their premises.

Under the new ordinance, schools are now also covered as well as high-risk businesses. It also specifies the type of CCTV camera that should be installed.

“Ordinance No. 14-036, the revised measure, will require the installation of CCTVs in banks, shopping malls, gasoline stations, supermarkets, money changers, 24-hour convenience stores, schools especially colleges and universities, fast-food restaurants, car dealerships and high-risk businesses,” the city council said in a statement.

Public Information Officer Tez Valencia-Navarro said that these included jewelry and pawnshop outlets, money couriers and wire transfer services, hotels and hospitality establishments, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. outlets, nightclubs and KTV bars, health clubs and massage parlors, and those deemed as such by the City Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO).

“These businesses are likewise specifically required to install cameras with high-definition output and night-vision capability to increase the likelihood of identifying any perpetrators should a crime take place within their establishment,” Navarro added.

The city government gave businesses in the city 90 days to comply with the new ordinance while establishments that already have CCTVs were given 120 days to follow the new regulations.

Navarro said that after 120 days, the BPLO would require the installation of CCTV cameras in all establishments before a business permit could be issued.