“ANG problema sa imong silingan (The problem of your neighbor), sooner or later, it will be your problem.”
This is what Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes told mall, security and financial institution managers during the Security and Mall Managers Coordination Meeting on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019.
Cortes encouraged stakeholders to strengthen their security.
The Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) also asked them to coordinate with authorities when they devise their security strategies.
During the meeting, MCPO Director Colonel Jonathan Abella showed footage of the robbery at J Centre Mall last Oct. 19, and gave recommendations on how to address security lapses captured by the closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera.
According to records of the MCPO, most robberies and thefts take place during “Ber” months.
Abella encouraged security managers to strengthen their security during this period. He also talked to operators regarding recommendations, such as allowing Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel to bring their firearms inside the premises of malls and other establishments.
Mayor Cortes already tapped the City Council to draft an ordinance regarding this.
To tighten the security of establishments, operators should adopt the buddy system and upgrade the resolution of their security cameras, Abella said. Operators should also have standby personnel to monitor CCTVs, he added.
For quick response during emergencies, establishments should have the updated contact numbers of the nearest police station. They must also form a quick response team and install a burglar alarm system.
Abella also recommended checking the background and profile of security guards.
Mayor Cortes said he requested the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to create a localized hotline number like 911 for the city.
He promised to give one two-way radio to each policeman so they can monitor emergencies even when they are off duty.
Cortes said that when mall operators conduct security drills, they must require all tenants to attend.
DILG City Director Jhoaden Lucero, for her part, said establishments should submit their updated security plans to the MCPO.
Abella assured that their intelligence personnel are the only ones allowed to review the security plans.
“All the reports are confidential,” he said.
Operators questioned some of the recommendations, including allowing armed PNP personnel to conduct foot patrols inside their premises. They worried that criminal elements might take advantage of the situation by presenting fake identification (ID) cards.
Abella said each policeman’s ID has a QR Code, which the establishments can scan, or they can call the police headquarters to verify.
On the night of Oct. 19, 14 to 15 men robbed three jewelry stores, a money changer and a pawnshop inside the J Centre Mall located on A.S. Fortuna St.
Four of the suspects were later killed in separate operations four hours after the incident. (KFD)