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[av_heading heading=’ How safe are Iloilo City’s parking areas?’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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Thursday, September 7, 2017
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ILOILO City – There are parking facilities with no adequate security systems such as guards and emergency communications. This makes these parking areas attractive to people with criminal intent.
To address the concern, the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) approved an ordinance requiring malls, supermarkets, hospitals, hotels, and universities to adopt security measures in their parking areas or garages.
Among others, the ordinance requires the formation of security patrols to check parking areas every 30 minutes.
If an individual is observed sitting inside a vehicle, the security guards making the inspection shall check the vehicle to make sure there is no problem.
The security guards must also limit to 10 to 15 minutes only the length of stay of the car owner/driver in the parking lot.
The owner or driver may be referred to the parking lounge or inside the establishment, said Councilor Jeffrey Ganzon, chairman of the SP committee on police, fire, penology, public safety, order and security.
On March 6, 2017 a couple was abducted at the parking area of a mall in Barangay San Rafael, Mandurriao district, and their vehicle stolen while the city was supposedly under tight security due to the ongoing meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The victims were call center agents.
The abduction was carried out around 6:30 p.m. just a few blocks away from the Iloilo Convention Center, venue of the ASEAN meetings.
The new ordinance requires parking lots to also have closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras and these should cover the whole length of parking aisles. These must be monitored by trained security officers, too.
On top of these, open parking spaces should have watchtowers manned by security personnel.
Meanwhile, security guards assigned in parking lots should use short firearms while guards assigned in the lockdown area or exit should be armed with a 12-gauge shotgun.
Citing previous incidents of violence and crimes in parking facilities, Ganzon said their openness to the general public and location makes them conducive for crimes.
He also observed that some parking facilities are not properly illumined and patrolled by security guards.
“Lighting is universally acknowledged as the most important security feature in a parking facility but absent or poorly observed in some parking facilities,” said Ganzon.
Managements of establishments with parking facilities are given 100 days from the ordinance’s effectivity to comply with these requirements.
The ordinance also mandates the creation of an inspection team to ensure compliance. It should be composed of two policemen, one member of the city government’s CCTV Council, two from the City Engineer’s Office, and one from the City Treasurer’s Office.
Violators will be fined P5,000 per month until they have complied./PN
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