A DAVAO City councilor is urging all 182 barangays to strengthen patrols and surveillance after vandals stole steel reinforcement bars from benches at the Bucana Esplanade.
Councilor Jessica "Cookie" Bonguyan, chair of the Committee on Public Works, filed a resolution asking barangay tanods to regularly patrol and monitor government properties to prevent theft, vandalism, and other crimes.
Bonguyan said barangay tanods serve as the community's frontline force in maintaining peace and order and protecting public assets.
She cited Section 391 of the Local Government Code of 1991, which authorizes barangay officials to initiate measures to prevent crime and maintain public order.
"There is a need to preserve public order and safety in the city. Government properties in every barangay must also be monitored and protected," Bonguyan said during the City Council's July 1 session.
She noted reports of vandalism, theft of public fixtures, and damage to government property.
"These acts of theft and destruction cause significant financial losses to the government and compromise the safety and usefulness of public facilities," she said.
Bonguyan added that local ordinances impose penalties, including fines, community service, and up to 30 days in jail, on individuals found guilty of damaging public property or disturbing public order.
In a separate resolution, Bonguyan also urged barangays to install and maintain closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems in coordination with the Public Safety and Security Office.
She said CCTV cameras have proven effective in deterring crime, assisting investigations, preserving evidence, and improving public safety.
Bonguyan also cited City Ordinance No. 0331-23, Series of 2023, which sets policies on the installation, operation, and maintenance of CCTV systems in Davao City.
The resolutions came after Barangay 76-A Capt. Robert Olanolan reported the theft of steel reinforcement bars from concrete benches at the Bucana Esplanade.
In a Facebook post on June 29, Olanolan urged parents to discipline their children and appealed to residents to report those responsible. “Unta mga ginikanan badlonga pub nang inyong mga anak nga naghimo karon og problema sa katilingban, pwede palang ibalik ang latigo. Salot na kaayo ning mga bataa ni. Mamalihog ko sa inyung cooperation kung kinsa man ang naka ila ani nila og naa moy CCTV ireport lang sa akoang office (I hope parents will discipline their children who are causing problems in the community... I ask for your cooperation. If anyone recognizes them or has CCTV footage, please report it to my office),” he wrote.
Olanolan also called for closer parental supervision to help prevent minors from damaging public property. RGP
