Batac passes ‘copied’ CCTV ordinance

By Dominic B. dela Cruz

Staff Reporter

Batac City—The Sangguniang Panlungsod here has approved on its third and final reading City Ordinance No. 3SP 2013-07 mandating all banks, pawnshops, money changers, financial institutions and large commercial establishments within the city for the procurement and installation of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) equipment as part of their operation and security measures.

The said ordinance is very similar to an ordinance earlier passed by the Laoag City council.

Batac councilor Orlando Mangapit, who authored the ordinance, said all those who voted in favor of the ordinance would become his co-authors.

Mangapit who, according to Batac councilor Gwynet S. Quidang, copied 90 percent of a similar ordinance in Laoag City, admitted not asking the permission of Laoag councilor Joseph H. Tamayo, author of the Laoag CCTV ordinance. He however defended this saying the measure has a laudable purpose and objective enhancing security around the city.

As chairperson of the committee on peace and order, Mangapit believes that this is one of the most effective tool in helping security guards and the Philippine National Police in identifying people who commit illegal activities inside and outside of a business establishment premises, especially in their investigation.

He also stressed that police personnel here is limited at the moment and the city’s business sector is booming, thus the passage of this ordinance is timely.

Earlier, Quidang noted that this ordinance was almost totally copied from the existing Laoag CCTV ordinance sponsored by Tamayo.

Although she expressed support for the ordinance, she emphasized that they should also seek permission from the original author of the ordinance, more so since Laoag is a competitor of Batac in legislative awards searches.

During its third and final reading last regular session, however, all councilors present unanimously approved the measure.

Despite the unanimous vote of the council at the time, Batac Vice Mayor and council presiding officer Ronald Allan M. Nalupta reiterated his objection on the matter. Though not allowed to vote unless there is a tie, the vice mayor just the same said that they should have asked permission from the original author of the measure. Or they could have added a footnote acknowledging the original author of the ordinance where the Batac measure was patterned.

Nalupta also disclosed that he offered his help in re-drafting the ordinance but this was disregarded.

After the voting, Nalupta shared a discussion between him and Tamayo during the Tan-ok Festival held in Laoag.

According to Nalupta, Tamayo approached him and talked about the CCTV ordinance and the main author said: “In-research ko ken inubrak dayta iti manu a bulan ket alaen da lattan nga kasla awan anyaman nan”.

But because they good friends, Tamayo withdrew his plan of legal actions which later became a source of his shame after his proposal of willingness in the formulation of a new draft ordinance was ignored.

In his capacity as the presiding officer, he said that he will sign the ordinance but he will be writing the Sangguniang Panlalawigan regarding objection.

In an earlier interview with Tamayo however, the Laoag lawmaker said he was so glad that Batac has followed and adopted his ordinance because Batac might have seen the importance of this CCTV ordinance.

“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 said.

Tamayo cited in his plastic ordinance where it was stated in the footnote as “Adopted from the ordinance of Las Piñas and Paranaque, “Ngem sapay kuma ta inikkan na kuma metla footnote to be fair kuma met kaniyak a nagban-bannug a nangpotar dayta a gakat”.

Reacting to this, Laoag Mayor Chevylle V. Fariñas said she felt honored if in case Batac adopted Laoag’s CCTV ordinance because this shows that this ordinance was effective and helpful to the people.

Fariñas said Laoag could do the same if in case they would also see an ordinance from a municipality which is very effective for the people.

She added that acknowledgement is not that important because what she considers most is to address what the people need like security, peace and order.