AFTER the mall heist in Mandaue City, the Cebu Bankers Club (CBC) assured the public their member banks continue to beef up their security.
Niel Yu, CBC president, said that even if the case was isolated, they will not remain complacent with their preventive measures against similar robbery incidents.
“We advise the establishments to be more vigilant, especially if there are suspicious persons around. We have to remind our security personnel in the banks to be extra alert also,” he said.
Yu said they have been conducting regular security meetings with police councils to know about updates on the peace and order situation.
“All the more now that this happened then our police force and security personnel are really beefed up,” he said.
On Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019, around 15 men simultaneously robbed three jewelry shops, a money changer and a pawnshop inside J Centre Mall in Mandaue City.
The establishments lost some P136 million worth of jewelry, cash and cellphones.
Four of the men were killed in a hot pursuit operation by police.
The incident pushed local government units to have a meeting with different stakeholders from the malls and the police to discuss measures to ensure public safety.
Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) president Stanley Go advised business owners to change their routine.
“Towards the Christmas season, there will be a lot of flow of cash so in business, what is important is we change our routine. Sometimes, crimes of these kind, they get inside information on the picking up and depositing of money,” Go said.
He said routines and patterns should be avoided and should not be predictable.
Go urged the public to practice vigilance and to trust the police.
“We have to trust in the system that the police have and we need to cooperate. And if there are any reasons for us to believe that there is a crime that is about to take place, we need to be responsible in immediately informing the police,” he said.