BIZ BUZZ: Makati versus CBD petty crime

Residents of Salcedo Village in Barangay Bel-Air, Makati can now heave a sigh of relief.

The city government of Makati has increased police presence in the area following the reported hike in robbery incidents as earlier reported by Biz Buzz.

While Salcedo Village is part of Makati’s Central Business District (CBD)—a private enclave whose security is principally handled by the Makati Commercial Estates Association (Macea)—city officials are helping beef up security in the area.

In fact, Makati Mayor Abby Binay mandated increased police visibility not just in the village, but throughout the whole CBD.

“Last September, Barangay Bel-Air officials and residents met with key officers of the Philippine National Police-Makati, Macea, the Makati Parking Authority and building security personnel, to draw up measures to prevent the recurrence of robbery incidents and deter criminal activities not only in the said village, but throughout the Central Business District,” City Administrator Claro Certeza told Biz Buzz.

He said Makati PNP had deployed 42 personnel to man the 22 identified control points and increase police visibility in the area. They are now doing round-the-clock Oplan Sita operations. Due to these police interventions, two armed robbery suspects on board a motorcycle were arrested along Makati Avenue in Barangay Poblacion last Sept. 27. The motorbike used by the riders-in-tandem turned out to be the getaway vehicle used in other robbery incidents in various parts of the village.

In addition, Certeza said the Makati police chief also reported the deployment of augmentation teams consisting of administrative personnel who will render two hours of field duty (4 p.m. to 6 p.m.) on weekdays at three identified places where people usually converge. Police officers and field training officers from other substations are also patrolling L.P. Leviste corner Sedeño Streets and other critical areas.

For Salcedo Village alone, Macea has also augmented security measures, increasing to 50 the number of security guards assigned to the village. Four guards are deployed for each exit point while two serve as roving guards. A total of 26 barangay tanods were provided by Bel-Air as augmentation force.

In addition, a Macea hotline (0917-1111548) has been disseminated to all building security personnel, and will be posted in public places. Last month, community help desks were put up at Sedeño corner Leviste Streets in Salcedo Village and at Dela Rosa corner Rufino Streets in Legazpi Village.

Certeza said that with the different preventive measures in place, there has been no incidence of crime reported in Barangay Bel-Air since Sept. 24.

“Rest assured that the city government of Makati remains strongly committed to maintaining peace and order and ensuring the safety and security of all residents and stakeholders of the city,” he said.

These are positive developments that Bel-Air and Makati residents will surely welcome. After all, it behooves upon Macea and the city government not to let their guard down.

—Daxim L. Lucas

TCI boss says . . .

The boss of Telecommunications Connectivity Inc. (TCI)—the three-way joint venture between Dito Telecommunity, Smart Communications and Globe Telecom—wrote the Inquirer last week to contest an earlier Biz Buzz item detailing how some officials of Globe were chafing at the release of information to public that were adverse to the company.

In particular, Globe officials had observed that information about complaints against the company’s supposed delays in facilitating mobile number portability somehow found their way into the press, despite protocols in place that called for any such issues to be resolved within the small group.

In her letter, TCI general manager Melanie Manuel said this was “plain innuendo.” She said TCI was led by a management committee (mancom) composed of senior officers from Dito, Globe and Smart, to whom she reports.

“It is a collegial body and the mancom approves recommendations and makes decisions for TCI,” she said.

Manuel said each TCI member has the right to raise concerns or issues, if any, and the firm shall provide a venue for dispute resolution and act in good faith to the best interest of the goal of mobile number portability.

She also disputed that Globe was unhappy with recent events described in the earlier Biz Buzz item.

“TCI is led by the mancom, and all three telcos are properly represented,” she said. “We hold weekly mancom meetings, which are recorded and everybody agrees on the minutes of the meetings.”

“To this day, TCI has never received any formal complaint against any of its actions,” Manuel added. “Thus, to say that Globe officials are ‘chafing under the actions of TCI’ is quite unfair to Globe.”

“If any of the telcos believes that an action seems prejudicial, and such perception stands on solid ground, its mancom or legal representative may file a formal complaint or raise it in a TCI mancom meeting at the very least,” she said.

“Actions and decisions are deliberated and undertaken at the joint venture level and not at the general manager level,” she said, adding that they have have kept a consultative approach given the nature of the organization.

“Thus, to insinuate that my former affiliation influences actions that favor two at the expense of the third is downright unfair and malevolent,” Manuel said.

—Daxim L. Lucas INQ

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