
Lee urges NAIA to tap ‘directly’ into power plants
Pulong: CCTVs for commercial firms
A LAWMAKER has proposed that the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and all airports in the country establish direct connections to power plants to reduce power costs instead of relying on the service of a utility provider, while another congressman said closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras should be installed in commercial establishments to help deter crime.
At a hearing of the House Committee on Transportation’s ongoing inquiry into the power shutdown incident that caused flight cancellations at NAIA on May 1, Agri Representative Wilbert Lee pointed out that directly connecting airports to power plants would be “a lot cheaper” for the government.
“Hindi ba dapat tingnan natin na direct connection na lang lahat ang ating mga airports, kasi ang laki ng matitipid dito. If we’re talking of 40% of P40 million per month electricity bill of NAIA Terminal 3, it’s about 16 million every month,” Lee said.
“Kapag pinagsama-sama natin ang lahat ng airports sa Pilipinas, napakalaking tipid po nito,” he said.
The lawmaker from Bicol said that the financial resources that can be saved by the government can be used for other public services that require “urgent funding.”
According to Lee, “hindi po unlimited ang pera ng gobyerno. Ito po ay buwis na pinaghihirapan ng taumbayan na dapat ding bumalik sa kanila bilang benepisyo.”
“Kaya dapat ma-consider ng gobyerno itong mungkahi natin na direct connection ng airports. Winner Tayo Lahat sa laki ng matitipid dito na puwede nating magamit sa iba pang social services,” he stressed.
“Isang paraan ito para mapagaan ng gobyerno ang pasanin ng ating mga kababayan. Bawat piso na matitipid natin dito, piso po ito na mapupunta sa ating mga health care services na kailangang-kailangan ng pondo, sa ating mga kababayan na walang bahay, sa ating mga magsasaka na food producer pero hindi makabili ng kanilang pagkain,” added the legislator.
On May 22, Lee filed House Resolution No. 1007 urging the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), and the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) to engage and enter into a special service contract that takes into consideration the technical requirements of NAIA operations and maintenance, and ensure that the same is replicated in all airports and their respective energy suppliers across the country.
Meanwhile, lawmakers led by Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte have pressed Congress to swiftly pass a measure requiring business establishments to install and maintain CCTV cameras in their workplaces and exits “as a means to deter crime” and aid investigations conducted by law enforcers.
With Benguet Rep. Eric Yap and ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Edvic Yap, the Davao City lawmaker filed House Bill (HB) 8068 that aims to mandate all businesses employing more than 20 workers and with work premises of not less than 50 meters to install CCTV or “surveillance cameras” and maintain these in “good working condition.”
Business establishments employing less than 20 workers or whose work premises are less than 50 meters but with transactions amounting to at least P50,000 per day are also required to install and maintain CCTV cameras.
“We should use technology to our advantage to help keep our citizens safe. Installing CCTV cameras in strategic areas is an effective crime prevention measure and can be a useful tool to help police investigators solve crime,” Duterte said.
Under HB 8068, business establishments covered by the measure shall install and maintain CCTV cameras in all their entrances and exits, within the premises of their work areas, the perimeter of their work areas, and other places in their business premises, except in restrooms, toilers, showers, bathrooms, changing rooms, and other similar spaces.
The bill also makes the installation of CCTV cameras a prerequisite for the issuance of business permits or permits to operate commercial establishments, including, but not limited to, restaurants, hospitals, malls, shopping centers, movie houses, theaters, supermarkets, groceries, entertainment centers, office buildings, warehouses, and cockpit arenas.
“These business establishments shall ensure that their surveillance/CCTV cameras are turned on and recording for twenty-four (24) hours each day and for seven (days) each week. They shall keep a deposit of video recordings from their surveillance/CCTV cameras for a period of not less than sixty (60) days from the date of recording,” the bill states.
Business establishments shall also inform the public about the installation and use of CCTV cameras in their premises through written notices prominently displaced at their entrances.
The owners or managers of business establishments are required under the bill to maintain the privacy and confidentiality of the video feeds and recordings obtained as a result of the use of their CCTV cameras.
Thus, they shall prohibit the use, viewing, copying, disclosure, or publication of said video feeds, except in the circumstances outlined under the measure.
These allowable circumstances are the use, viewing, copying and disclosure to a member or officer of a law enforcement agency in connection with and limited to the investigation or prosecution of an offense punishable by law or regulation or in connection with any pending criminal proceeding.
Viewing, copying and disclosure of CCTV feeds are also allowed under the bill to determine whether or not an offense was committed against a person or property; to ascertain the identity of a criminal perpetrator; and to find out the manner by which the offense was perpetrated.
The measure penalizes business establishments violating its provisions with imprisonment not exceeding six months, or a fine not exceeding P10,000, or both, “without prejudice to other civil or criminal liabilities that may arise from such violations.”
Local government units (LGUs) with jurisdiction over the business establishment and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) are the agencies tasked to implement the bill’s provisions.