Bacolod mayor urges biz owners to install CCTVs, lights Thursday, December 29, 2016 By MERLINDA A. PEDROSA TERESA D. ELLERA BACOLOD City Mayor Evelio Leonardia urged business establishment owners to install closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras and put lights in front of their stores. The mayor made the call after it was observed that the sidewalk along Locsin-Luzuriaga Streets, where a Chinese businessman was robbed and killed by an unidentified assailant, was too dark. Wu Changle, 26, of Fujian, China and security guard Jilbert Mayang of Hinoba-an town, Negros Occidental were shot to death by a lone assailant who robbed JDS Mindoro Enterprises Corp. on the evening of December 25. Senior Police Officer 2 Celito Dullan, chief investigator of Police Station 1, had earlier said the area has no closed circuit television (CCTV) camera that could help them determine the identity of the suspects. Leonardia said Wednesday that when he was a councilor, he wrote a letter to the business sector, asking them to follow the city ordinance that mandates the putting up of lights in front of the store. He added that this is already practiced by some businessmen along at the downtown area. “This is ideal, and I hope that the businessmen will also follow to ensure the safety of their business,” the mayor said. Leonardia said he will also request the City Council to revisit the city ordinance so they can update it and to ensure compliance of the business establishment owners. He noted that based on the ordinance, businessmen with capital of P3 million and above are required to have at least two CCTV cameras. He said that during the meeting of Task Group Bantay Negosyo led by Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, it was discussed that there is no excuse for businessmen not to install CCTV cameras because very affordable units are available. Leonardia added that they should install CCTV units with high definition to capture the identity of the perpetrators. He also said that they will give ample time to business establishment owners to meet the CCTV requirement, and they will not be given a business permit, if they fail to comply with the basic security measures. He pointed out that the CCTV unit is a deterrent and can help solve crimes as it can help in determining the identities of perpetrators. “There are people who’d say that the killing of a Chinese national could scare investors, it’s correct, but this is an isolated case. These things can happen once in a while,” the mayor added. Meanwhile, Familiaran reiterated the call for policemen to strengthen visibility operations especially in the downtown area to deter crimes. He also urged owners of commercial establishments to implement security measures for their own safety. Familiaran said he is set to meet with officials of Bacolod City Police Office, and with the business groups to discuss their course of action to prevent crimes. For his part, Councilor Caesar Distrito said he condemns such barbaric and unconscionable act that led to the death of the Chinese national. Criminals have really chosen an appropriate day, which is Christmas Day, to perpetuate their illegal act, he added. “I challenge the Philippine National Police to conduct a manhunt operation and immediately arrest the perpetrator of this heinous crime,” he said. “Our people can only have a peace of mind, if the suspect or his accomplice will be arrested. The City of Bacolod is known to be a peaceful place, and they just destroyed the peaceful living of our beloved city.” Distrito added.
0 Comments
Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia yesterday assured the business community and the public that the Christmas Day killing in Bacolod City was an isolated case. “It may have alarmed us but it should not discourage us. It is unfortunate that it happened, that is why we are implementing preventive measures to prevent a similar incident from happening again,” he said. Chinese businessman Wu Changle, 26, and security guard Jilbert Mayang were shot dead by an unidentified man armed with an M-16 assault rifle who stole P1 million from JDS Mindoro Enterprises Corp. at Locsin Street in Bacolod City Sunday. Also shot and injured by the lone gunman were Huang Yuanlong, 31, Huang Weigiang, 23, and Zhang Xiaodong, 24, who, like Wu, are from Fujian China. Leonardia, however, said he believes Bacolod is still relatively and comparatively a peaceful city, with a business climate conducive to growth. The Mayor signed Executive Order No. 35 creating Task Group Bantay Negosyo Tuesday tasked to come up with measures to prevent similar crimes from happening, following the killing of the Chinese businessman and security guard. Named head of the task group is Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran. Leonardia said one of the purposes of Task Group Bantay Negosyo is information dissemination that should go down to the grassroots. This means that sales boys, salesmen and janitors must be oriented to be security conscious and be able to detect suspicious activities or characters, and know what to do, he said. On top of all of this, a compelling motivation for creating the task force is that they want Bacolod to be business-friendly and to give more security to the business community in the city, he added. Leonardia said Councilors Elmer Sy and Cindy Rojas were added to the task force with Councilors Cano Tan and Em Ang because they want councilors with Filipino-Chinese backgrounds to be involved as they understand the situation of the businessmen. With the Task Group Bantay Negosyo, they foresee a closer coordination with the business community, the city and police, he said. INSTRUCTIONS TO DONGBO Leonardia said he had instructed acting Bacolod police director Senior Supt. Flynn Dongbo to solve the killings as soon as possible. He also suggested that the task group hold regular meetings for continuing monitoring, evaluation and assessment of the situation to prevent a similar incident from happening, he said. Leonardia said there is an existing ordinance requiring business establishments to put up lighting facilities in front of their stores, which is being implemented by a group of businessmen whose establishments are along Gatuslao Street between Luzurriaga and Gonzaga streets. They will require businessmen to put up lighting facilities in their establishments and he is also requesting the Sanggunian to revisit the ordinance passed in the 1950's or 1060's yet, so it will be updated, he said. If this is implemented, it will be good for the business community and the general public because the downtown area will be lighted, he added. CCTV CAMERAS REQUIRED Leonardia said he also discussed with the Sanggunian the implementation of an existing ordinance requiring the installation of two CCTV cameras in establishments with a capitalization of P3 million and above. If they install CCTV's it should be the kind with high definition cameras for easy identification of the suspects. He believes a CCTV is a deterrent and can help solve crimes, he said. Leonardia said the business permit processing will start on January 3, and he would like to see a situation, maybe after being given ample time, to require business establishments to install CCTV cameras in their establishments. Eventually, they will not be issued business permits if they do not comply with basic security measures. Meanwhile, the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod unanimously approved during its session Wednesday a resolution condemning the killings done by lawless elements and asking the Mayor and Police director to intensify anti-crime campaign and police visibility in order to stop crime or violence in Bacolod City. The resolution authored by Councilor Cano Tan said there is a need for the incumbent local government and police authorities to stop these series of killings.*CGS BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO back to top Front Page | Opinion | Negros Oriental | Business | Sports Star Life | People & Events| Archives | Advertise TIGHT ROPE
WITH MODESTO P. SA-ONOY Caught napping? It seems that the Bacolod Police was caught napping with the killing and robbery of a Chinese businessman on, of all times, Christmas Day. Men of evil do not make distinction indeed and they strike at times we least expect it. Changle Wu and Jilbert Mayang probably relied on the police for their safety considering that the PNP is supposed to be on high alert during this season. So many of the PNP personnel were standing by in the checkpoints, so many were keeping watch at the area selling pyrotechnics but nobody was at the street corner where there is usually a crowd. That intersection is a jeepney terminal and usually has plenty of people, so close as it is to the city's Central market and stalls selling vegetables and fruits. In a word it is not an isolated or dark street. There is also usually a traffic enforcer at the intersection where the store is located. Since the store has not completely closed yet, it is not dark inside either. Taken together there was no policeman there. Whether one was assigned there or not should be checked because it would be negligence on the part of whoever assigns policemen that this junction was not protected. If there was somebody assigned there at that hour, where was he? If nobody was posted there, why not considering the situation of the area? A man with a long, assault weapon dashed into Wu's store after shooting the security guard, Jilbert Mayang. Catching the people inside, the killer sprayed some more bullets and hit three others. The M-16 weapon is issued only to military and police personnel. While we can discount civilians, this is not impossible. There are opinions that some elements in the drug trade that have nothing to sell anymore or are afraid to continue with that trade had shifted to armed robbery. This is possible but the use of an assault rifle points more to the military or the police as the first suspect. Initial information says that the police think this crime was perpetrated by people in the drug business but that statement immediately discounts or absolves the people who have access to this kind of weapon. In fact the military and police personnel should have been the first suspect. Of course the other group that bandies about with an M-16 is the NPA but this kind of operation does not have any trademark of the NPA and the modus operandi is clearly not NPA. The police reaction is pro forma - we will do the best we can to solve this crime but from their interviews they seem to be at a loss. They were not on alert as they should be and an important section of the city apparently was not covered. No wonder that radio broadcasters were quick to suggest that the commander of Station 1, Sr. Inspector Eugene Tolentino be relieved. That will not solve the case but that will show the PNP's resolve to remove the inefficient. This commander better come up with something credible and solve this crime. Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran can do well to check on the deployment of the police at the time of the crime and who is responsible for their deployment. If there was a policeman in the area, why was there no immediate response? If not, why? The use of an assault rifle indicate that the killer is no ordinary criminal but one who has competence in the use of this weapon. Only policemen and soldiers have this competence. The operation was professional. The perpetrator or perpetrators were not merely robbers but people with no qualms to kill those who stood on the way or who showed any move to resist. The killer seems to know the competence and tested the capability of the Bacolod police and he found it wanting. He will be back unless he is caught. I know the father of the victim. We call him fondly as Joe Wu, a kindly man who had opened business here believing Bacolod is a peaceful city. We had lunch with his son, Changle several times and found the young fellow a pleasant man. Joe was very conscious of complying with Philippine laws and he believed that here he can find a good place for business. We cannot fail him and people like him.* Bridge to make life easier for children
BY MAE SINGUAY Wednesday, December 28, 2016 BACOLOD City – A steel bridge in Zone 6, Barangay Handumanan will be inaugurated around 3 p.m. today. The 22-lineal-meter bridge with checkered plate flooring connects Handumanan Elementary Schools 1 and 2 to Handumanan National High School, according to the City Engineer’s Office (CEO). Councilor Em Ang said the structure is expected to make walking to school easier for schoolchildren in Handumanan and Mansilingan. Work on the bridge started Oct. 3. The project had a P900,000 allocation under the 2016 Annual Investment Program, the CEO said. Mayor Evelio Leonardia will lead the inauguration along with Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, city councilors, and Handumanan barangay officials. As early as July 2015, the Sangguniang Panlungsod sought action from the city government “to ensure the safety of the residents of barangays Mansilingan and Handumanan who cross the river to go to and from Handumanan Elementary School and Handumanan National High School.” Ang said she had brought the matter to the CEO, but it was only this year that the local government acted. While a “small project,” the bridge “immensely improves the situation of the children in Mansilingan and Handumanan, making their morning walk to school safer and easier,” said Ang. Ang claimed to have seen children wading through the water on foot, with taller ones piggybacking shorter ones, before the bridge was built. “Every day, these children would enter their classrooms with feet and clothes wet,” said the councilor./PN Task group to protect Bacolod bizmen
BY MAE SINGUAY Wednesday, December 28, 2016 BACOLOD City – A city government task force was created to help protect businesses, particularly at the downtown area. Task Group Bantay Negosyo will work to prevent incidents similar to the deadly robbery of a department store on Christmas Day from happening. A security guard and the Chinese owner of the JDS Mindoro Enterprises Corp. were killed when an unidentified robber barged into the store and shot people in it. The store on Locsin Street, Barangay 13 was closing when attacked. Three Chinese store workers were injured. Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran is heading the task force, with the following businesspeople as members: * Alfredo Barcelona and Ben Ortega of the Bacolod Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry * Roberto Montelibano and Leonito “Diotay” Lopue of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry * Tsai Wen Ming and Kim Tan of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce * Crispin Chua and Roger Yap of the Amity Club. Familiaran said they will make rounds in the city to check police visibility, especially at the downtown area, the commercial center. The task group will tap force multipliers to help in its monitoring. Police must assure the business community that such incident will not happen again, said the vice mayor. Moreover, the task force will meet with business groups and discuss measures to protect businesspeople from not only robbery but also other threats, including snatching and vehicle theft. In an emergency meeting on Monday, Mayor Evelio Leonardia ordered Senior Superintendent Flynn Dongbo, city police director, to swiftly act on the case. Businessman Changle Wu and security guard Jilbert Mayang were killed in the robbery. Injured were Wei Quang Huang, Yuan Long Huang and Zhang Xiao Dong. Local government and business organization officials blamed poor police visibility for the crime. Senior Police Officer 2 Celito Dullan, investigator for Police Station 1, said they were conducting an “intense” follow-up operation, with the help of the intelligence community, to identify the suspect and determine his whereabouts. Police were looking into the possibility of an inside job. Based on the long firearm he used, the gunman could be a former police or military officer, Dullan said, adding that he may also have accomplices. The police officer refused to disclose further information so as not to hamper their investigation./PN Bacolod City mayor leads Handumanan Bridge inauguration
Wednesday, December 28, 2016 BACOLOD City Mayor Evelio Leonardia will lead the inauguration of a steel bridge at Zone 6 in Barangay Handumanan today, December 28. The activity will also be attended by Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran and Councilor Em Ang, who facilitated the project, and the Barangay Handumanan officials. The 22-lineal-meter bridge, which costs P900,000, is funded under the 2016 Annual Investment Program. It connects Handumanan Elementary Schools 1 and 2 to Handumanan National High School. On July 15, 2015 Ang authored a resolution requesting the previous administration to inspect and take prompt and necessary measures to ensure the safety of the residents in Barangays Mansilingan and Handumanan who cross the river going to and from Handumanan Elementary School and Handumanan National High School. Ang said she saw the children crossing the water on foot with the taller children piggy-backing the smaller ones. “Every day, these children would enter their classrooms, feet and clothes wet,” she said. Ang said that for two years, she had personally brought the concern to the City Engineer’s Office through a Sangguniang Panlungsod resolution and frequent personal follow-up, but it did not materialize until now. “A small project as it may be, this bridge immensely improves the situation of the children in Mansilingan and Handumanan making their morning walk to school safer and easier,” she added. Read more: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/bacolod/local-news/2016/12/28/bacolod-city-mayor-leads-handumanan-bridge-inauguration-517192 Follow us: @sunstaronline on Twitter | SunStar Philippines on Facebook |
Archives
September 2020
Categories
All
|