- Lawmakers okay amended ordinance to bolster fight vs crime
LAWMAKERS approved on final reading the “Amended CCTV Ordinance in the City, highlighting the need for law enforcers to immediately access footage from private establishments for higher crime solution efficiency.
Councilor Luna Acosta, the committee on peace and public safety chair, said the amended ordinance will prioritize peace, public safety, and security in public and common areas.
Under Sec. 10, the amended CCTV Ordinance, the owner of the establishment or person in charge, shall make the recording readily available to law enforcement agencies for viewing upon request.
The owner or person in charge of the establishment is also required to immediately contact the nearest police station if a crime has been committed and recorded on CCTV.
Tampering or providing a copy of the CCTV footage shall be considered obstruction of justice and failure to comply with the section shall be penalized.
The ordinance covers commercial, industrial, or financial institutions with a declared minimum capital of P3 million and above. Businesses with capitalizations not exceeding P3 million including but not limited to, banks, pawnshops, restaurants, shopping malls, hotels and inns, educational institutions, hospital and medical institutions, gaming cockpits, private transport terminals on land, air and sea” shall also install, operate and maintain CCTVs.
As stipulated in the ordinance, the CCTV system shall be maintained in proper working order all the time and should be in continuous operation. It shall be installed in well-lit areas to pick up details such as the facial features of people and passersby.
Business establishments with a minimum capital of P3 million and above shall follow minimum specifications for the camera including high-definition analog or at least 2-megapixel digital camera, 0.1 lux minimum illumination, 2.8mm to 3.6 mm focal length, auto-iris focus lens, 1/30s to 1/50,000s shutter speed, >50-meter infrared range, 120 dB Wide Dynamic range, pan and tilt adjustment of 0 degrees to 180 degrees and rotate adjustment of 0 degrees to 360 degrees, and outdoor cameras must be vandal-proof and IP 66 weatherproof casing.
Video and audio input shall be 720p or 1080p resolution, 30 FPS, and at least 10 megabits per second, and should have a hard disk drive and/or cloud recording for storage.
Establishments covered shall strictly comply with the National Privacy Commission (NPC) guidelines on the use of CCTV systems as detailed in Section 4 of NPC Advisory No. 2020-04.
The city through the Public Safety and Security Office (PSSO) shall be responsible for determining if the relevant establishments are compliant with the ordinance, and are entitled to conduct inspections during reasonable hours even without notice to the owner.
The PSSO shall issue necessary clearance or certification if such establishment is compliant which shall be a mandatory requirement for renewal of business permit by the business bureau.
However, establishments covered that have existing CCTV systems installed that do not meet the ordinance shall be allowed a one-year depreciation period, They shall also be allowed one year from their next business permit renewal to comply with the specifications.
PSSO head Angel Sumagaysay earlier said that the standards will help crime investigations in the city where the role of CCTV is found to be crucial.
