COUNCILOR Leonardo Yangot wants to require business establishments to provide CCTV (closed circuit television) cameras and x-ray machines in their baggage counters.
The measure aims to ensure safety and deter distribution of illegal drugs and weapons in malls, department stores, groceries and convenient stores.
Yangot said “illegal drug traders in the country has now come up with the innovative ways as malls, department stores, groceries, convenient stores and other similar business establishments are now being used as their medium of operation.”
“No less that PDEA director general Aaron Aquino revealed the new modus operandi of transmitting illegal drugs using malls, groceries and similar establishments with baggage counters and this modus was successful since illegal drug transfers from one hand to another became unnoticed since baggage counter attendants do not mind memorizing the faces of people who drop and retrieve the baggage so long as they have claim stub for the baggage,” he added.
Yangot said installation of CCTV cameras will allow identification of suspected drug dealers or couriers while x-ray machines will immediately determine if there are illegal items being deposited in baggage counters like deadly weapons and drugs.
“In view of all the foregoing, in pursuit on an intensive and unrelenting campaign against the trafficking and use of dangerous drugs and other similar substances, there is a need for an integrated system of planning, implementation and enforcement of anti-drug abuse policies, programs and projects,” he said.
If the proposed measure is approved, all malls, department stores, groceries, convenient stores and other similar business establishments operating in the City of Baguio will be required to provide CCTV cameras and x-ray machines in their baggage counters.
Failure to comply will cause the non-renewal of permit to operate of the concerned business, Yangot said.