Friday, January 11, 2008 Only 2 of 10 Mactan bridge cameras working
FOUR months after two companies promised to work hand-in-hand in fixing the security cameras of the two bridges linking mainland Cebu and Mactan Island, only two of the cameras were still working as of yesterday.
But California Electronics, supplier of the 10 security cameras on the Mandaue-Mactan and Marcelo B. Fernan bridges, had an excuse.
“We are the victims here, not the culprits,” California Electronics manager and chief engineer Jock Parba told reporters.
He explained that as much as they wanted to repair the security cameras, they did not have the resources to do so.
“Ang problema nako, who will pay for the cables? We are willing to provide for labor, but not the materials,” said Parba.
California Electronics earlier reported that Gampik Construction and Development Inc. damaged the wires for the closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, during excavations for the lampposts used in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit last January 2007.
At least four of the 10 cameras were damaged then.
When the company made a second billing last August, they found that only two cameras were functioning since the cables of the other cameras were stolen.
This irked Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, who ordered that representatives of both California Electronics and Gampik be brought to the Cebu International Convention Center
(CICC) for a meeting last September of the Mactan-Cebu Bridge Management Board (MCBMB).
Parba represented the supplier.
It was there that both companies promised to take care of the problem. Garcia set the deadline for Sept. 12.
Until now, there are no improvements.
Not their job
Parba defended the company, saying it was not their job to look after the cameras.
While California Electronics offered to shoulder labor as long as the MCBMB pays for the materials, Parba also suggested that they could go wireless so there will be no more cables to steal.
Parba offered to pay 50 percent of the installation of wireless security cameras and the labor.
Going wireless would cost P500,000.
But Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Ronald Roderos, a member of the MCBMB, said that the first issue should be settled, which is the repair of the eight other cameras.
“We asked deputy provincial director for operations (Supt. Erson) Digal and Maritime (Police) to make a special report and make a recommendation in the next meeting,” said Roderos.
Governor Garcia also ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways and the MCBMB secretariat to look at the chronology of events leading to the damage of the cameras.
Roderos assured that security in Cebu, particularly on the two bridges, will not be affected despite the problems with the cameras.
He explained that there are security guards on both bridges and on both the Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu sides, 24 hours a day. Policemen backed up by tanods, the Coast Guard and the Philippine Navy can also be deployed.
“It would’ve been good if the CCTV cameras were functioning but of course, before, there were no cameras. We will make do with what we have,” Roderos added. (JGA)
