IN THE name of safety, metal detectors for establishments is being pushed.
Councilor Leandro Yangot said in a proposed measure that news of violence in public places is becoming more and more common.
“It seems like every day, another shooting incident or terrorist attack hits the news. Places in these crimes involve malls, supermarkets, groceries, night establishments. People keep debating what to do in order to prevent things like this from happening,” Yangot said.
The proposed measure requires establishments, such as malls, supermarkets, groceries, convenient stores, restaurants, night spots, and bars to provide metal detectors in their entrances as a means to curb crimes and other forms of violence.
Yangot said today’s security devices such as metal detectors can detect any item that can be used as a weapon.
"Albeit we all moan whenever we have to wait in line at the airport, courthouse, malls, supermarkets or other public places and we feel annoyed whenever it goes off over something simple as a nail file or a set of keys, the maintenance of peace and order and the prevention of crime is of primodial consideration," he said.
Once the measure is passed, all establishments will have to install these devices in their areas to prevent crime. Violators will have to pay a fine of P5,000.
In 2016, the Philippine Statistics Authority in the Cordillera revealed that murder, homicide, rape and physical injury topped the list of crimes against individuals committed last year.
Benguet topped the list of murder cases with 11 and five homicides, followed by Abra with 10 murders and one homicide.
Baguio City, on the other hand, topped the list of physical injury cases with 264 of the total 519 reported in 2015, followed by Benguet with 126.
Theft and physical injury were also the highest among index crimes recorded in the region with 1,859, showing a 62.6 percent decline in total crimes compared to 4,964 index crimes in 2014.
Of the 1,175 crime index against property, theft cases recorded 875 incidents mostly committed in Baguio with 716 cases, followed by Benguet with 128 and Ifugao with 12. All areas in the region recorded single-digit theft cases in 2015, with Apayao recording one case.
Robbery and car theft came second and third with 261 and 38 cases recorded, respectively.
