Batac set to adopt LC’s CCTV ordinance

By Dominic B. dela Cruz

Staff Reporter

Batac City—A draft ordinance mandating all banks, money changers, pawnshops, other financial institutions and large financial establishments within the jurisdiction of Batac to procure and install closes-circuit television (CCTV) system was allegedly copied from a similar ordinance passed earlier by Laoag City’s Sangguniang Panlungsod.

Batac councilore Gwynet Quidang

Batac councilor Gwynet Quidang questioned the ordinance during a discussion on its second reading saying that based on her observation, more than 90 percent of the draft ordinance were copied from an original ordinance passed by Laoag’s local legislative body.

Quidang, who nevertheless favored the draft ordinance, asked if the city government would be ready to face any consequence from copying a same ordinance from another city especially since the author admitted that he did not ask the permission of the Laoag government.

Quidang added said that the same city is a competitor of Batac in the legislative awards search, wherein Batac has already won twice and had become a national finalist.

“Ti lang concern ko no anan to iti maibaga iti Laoag nga agkop-kopya tayo. Ana ngaruden no ibaga danto nga ab-abaken dakami a talaga iti Batac ngem agkop-kopya da met gayam iti ordinansa mi no kuna da,” Quidang said.

Batac councilor Orlando Mangapit, author of the ordinance, stressed that this measure is for the betterment of everyone most especially the identified business establishments for their security.

Batac Vice Mayor Ronald Allan M. Nalupta, for his part also expressed his percent support for the measure saying that his business establishment already has a CCTV system.

Nonetheless, Nalupta asked the author again if he asked permission from the original author as he stressed that he does not want to be a part in case the Laoag government finds this objectionable.

He added, that after reading the draft ordinance, he noticed that Laoag was not recognized or acknowledged being the original author which Mangapit also admitted.

According to Nalupta, there should be no problem for if the author asked permission from the original author.

He said that if the measure will be approved and that he will sign being the presiding officer, he just wanted to be assured that he will not be a part of any legal action by the Laoag government.

Nalupta related that there was a time when Batac was still a municipality that the whole officialdom, except the Liga ng mga Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan federated presidents were charged and summoned by a Regional Trial Court because of Capacuan Dam.

In view of this, the vice mayor wanted to clarify the matter as he does not want to be implicated in a court action. He added that he would also want to protect Batac Mayor Jeffrey Jubal Nalupta.

Despite of these several questions, the measure was approved in its second reading. With the approval, Mangapit recommended an amendment where all those who favored the measure would become main authors, except for Quidang who requested not to become a co-author.

Nalupta however disclosed that should this measure be passed in the third reading, he would only sign it as a “ministerial duty” and he may also write a letter to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to specify such. Personally, he said, due to the legal matters concerning the issue, he is not in favor of passing this measure.

“Unless you will give me a certification from Laoag City that there is permission from them for the adoption of the ordinance,” Nalupta insisted.

Reacting to this, Laoag councilor Joseph H. Tamayo, the original author of the CCTV ordinance said he was glad that Batac adopted his ordinance and saw its significance.

Tamayo added that the copying of the ordinance he authored was not a problem.

“Ngem no awan footnote na adopted from the city of Laoag medyo adda bassit diperensya na nukwa didiay. Ket no awan inbaga na a footnote na idiay ken kinopya na a namin-pinsan dagidiay wordings na iti maysa a section or whatever is tantamount to plagiarism,” Tamayo explained.

He divulged that the Laoag plastic ordinance, which he also authored was also adopted from other cities’ ordinance. But he pointed out that there was a footnote saying “adopted from the ordinance of Las Piñas and Parañaque.”

But for him personally, he said he was proud that his work has been copied because he believes that it is for the good of the people.

He said that he is not against the person who sponsored the measure, “ngem sapay kuma ta inikkan na kuma metla footnote to be fair kuma met kaniyak a nagban-bannug a nangpotar dayta a gakat”.

He added that Batac council’s winning legislative awards is not an issue as long as it is them which are copying from Laoag’s ordinances.

The best remedy Tamayo said would be for the council to put a footnote on the measure as additional amendment before it will be passed on a third and final reading.

If not, he said the people of Laoag might file a plagiarism case against the city of Batac if they see no acknowledgment indicated but for him personally, he said he will never do this.