AN EXECUTIVE of the courier company LBC on Tuesday, November 6, said it is beyond his authority to decide and employ security personnel in their branches in Cagayan de Oro, saying it is a "structure" applied nationwide.
Jacinto Bernados, LBC area manager for North Mindanao appeared in a hearing on Tuesday called by the joint committee of public safety and trade and commerce to shed light on the series of robbery incidents in the LBC branches.
"It is not in my level to decide to put up security guards, we respect the hierarchy in our organization," Bernados said.
Bernados, however, insisted that they have "internal security measures," such as advising their employees on duty to look outside for suspicious-looking persons. He said they also advise employees to refrain from reacting against the thieves, and only call the authorities when it is safe to do so.
Councilor Romeo Calizo, meanwhile, said this scheme is "not a good reaction to a security threat" and could instead put the lives of employees and customers at risk.
Bernados said he has made initial discussions with his immediate head about this issue, but no further actions were made since the series of robberies just started. This, despite several recommendations from police to employ security guards.
Lawyer Edgardo Uy, chairperson of the Regulatory and Complaint Board pointed out that a certain establishment can be declared as a public nuisance if they violate ordinance. Such declaration, he said, can lead to closure of the establishment.
"We are promoting ourselves as peaceful and a business-friendly city but these robbery incidents only put us in a bad light. It's not rocket science to improve their security measure, being security conscious is a management call," Uy said.
Councilor George Goking said it is "too premature" to recommend to cancel their business permit or close all their branches, saying they will give the LBC management a chance to address this matter in the next closed-door meeting.
"Hopefully, people who are authorized to make decisions will attend our next meeting," Goking said.
Both committees on Tuesday still approved a resolution requiring LBC to improve their security measures in the light of the spate of robberies here, as these have "tainted the peace and order situation in Cagayan de Oro."