AN ad hoc committee that would study and recommend the installation of an integrated traffic lights and security camera system was proposed during Monday’s (Oct. 20) regular afternoon session of the 21st City Council.

 

Council majority floor leader Edgar Cabanlas pushed for the creation of the ad hoc committee to be created through an executive order to be issued by Mayor Rolando ‘Klarex’ Uy for this purpose. ‘Let us (recommend to Mayor Klarex) to issue an executive order to create this ad hoc committee,’ Cabanlas said.

 

The proposal stemmed from a special report by Councilor Maximo Rodriguez III on the non-functional traffic lights and closed circuit TV (CCTV) cameras installed in certain areas of Cagayan de Oro City. ‘These (barely functional) traffic lights only worsen traffic congestion in the city,’ Rodriguez said.

 

For his part, Councilor George Christopher Goking—who chairs the council’s trade and commerce committee—said they are studying ways to amend the city ordinance on CCTVs to include tapping privately owned security cameras of commercial establishments during police investigations.

 

‘We should look at (both the traffic lights and security cameras) as one item. In Davao City, they spent P1.5 billion back then (for an integrated traffic lights and security cameras system),’ Cabanlas said. The council later referred the issue to the council’s public utilities committee chaired by Councilor Enrico Salcedo./Text by SC with CIO photos by Reynan Baylin