Requests for additional CCTV and the AIP deliberated in the Sanggunian

THE City Council conducted its first regular session for the year 2013 focusing on putting the final touches for the soon to be approved Annual Investment Plan (AIP) of the City as well as discussing requests for additional Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras and lighting to augment the peace and order program of the city.

The AIP of the city for the year 2013 has an allocation of Ninety Million Three Hundred Seven Thousand Pesos (P 90,307,000.00) for the various programs, projects and activities of the city through the 21013 development fund.

Taking a major share in the above allocation are the barangay development projects in the amount of P 30,000,00, followed by the construction and rehabilitation of the city’s drainage system in the amount of P24,807,000.

The amount of P 13,500,000.00 has also been allocated for the traffic and transport facilities development program to include the master plan preparation in the amount of P 10,000.000.00, while the amount of P7,000,000 was allocated for the parks development at City Hall compound and at the Rizal Park.

The final allocation is for the parks development program of the city including the master plan preparation for the said program in the amount of P 5,000,000. It can be recalled that the said AIP was submitted by the City Mayor during the middle of October last year to the City Council for its consideration.

The programs, projects and activities contained in the AIP is in line with the development thrusts of the city which includes the integrity of the environment, sustained economic growth, poverty reduction and empowerment of the poor and vulnerable, accountable and participatory governance, and a safe and resilient city.

During discussion of the matter the Vice Mayor and presiding officer Daniel Fariñas reiterated the fixed deadline for the submission by the members of the august body of their respective lists of barangays and their projects to be funded by the allocation provided in the AIP. The presiding officer also confirmed that the members cannot go beyond the 2 million pesos development fund assigned to their office in the selection of barangay projects.

On another matter, the city council also deliberated on a proposed resolution introduced by City Councilor Nicasio Aliping Jr., included during suspension of the rules, entitled “supporting the request of the Baguio city Police Office (BCPO) for the installation of additional closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras and lightings within the city of Baguio”.

Councilor Aliping in his proposal mentioned that based on the Geographic Information System-based crime analysis (GIS-BCA) it has been determined that various dimly lighted areas in the city are crime hotspots and that crimes are prevalent in these areas due to the darkness and the facility of concealment offered to the criminal elements. It is thus necessary to formulate a better and more effective strategy to ensure that the city will experience a better peace and order situation.

Councilor Aliping revealed in his proposal that the BCPO has been implementing various operational plans specifically to address the identified problems that affect the peace and order situation in the city. One of these so called operational plans is the OPLAN Cross Rider which is the primary campaign plan designed to seal the city with checkpoints to neutralize criminal elements who perpetrate crimes using various forms of conveyances and transportation.

Aliping further added that a common problem encountered by the operating units under these oplan is the inadequacy of illumination and surveillance monitoring in the strategic areas where these criminal elements operate and traverse. Under OPLAN Cross Rider checkpoints by the police are set up on identified chokepoints to pre-empt movements of lawless elements and their immediate identification during investigation. Due to this problem the BCPO is requesting from the city for the installation of additional CCTV cameras and lighting within strategic areas for a more effective implementation of measures to maintain peace and order.

In the discussion of the matter by members of the august body, an agreement was reached that the said proposed resolution be included with another proposed ordinance authored by city councilor Edison Bilog amending City Ordinance numbered 88, series of 2008 entitled “Requiring all banks in the City of Baguio to install high definition Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) with corresponding image recorder in their establishments, in order to include schools, shopping malls, department stores, convenience stores, gasoline stations, pawnshops, money changers and other business establishments with minimum business capital of P 5000,000.00”. With this decision by the august body the said proposal will be consolidated by the appropriate committee which will again be submitted to the city council for its eventual consideration.