Representative Karlo Alexei Nograles (1^st district, Davao City) has proposed the installation of high-definition closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in agencies handling sensitive functions such as the Bureau of Customs (BOC)  and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

Nograles, a member of the National Unity Party (NUP), said CCTV cameras would be effective tools in monitoring the functions of employees in corruption-prone offices such as the BOC and the BIR. 

The installation of CCTV cameras in should be mandatory in government offices to effectively aid the Aquino administration’s campaign against crime and corruption, Nograles said.

Nograles pointed out that while several cities now require business establishments to install CCTV cameras as a security measure, the national government has yet to make this a necessity for its agencies, including those that handle sensitive functions.  

“I have heard horror stories about people paying fixers just for the simple reason that they do not want to go through the trouble of falling in line to process certain government documents. I think that installing a CCTV system inside government institutions, especially those that handle payments and other financial transactions such as Customs and BIR, will help stop these malpractices,” Nograles said.

“All banks and other private commercial establishments that handle financial transactions now have their own CCTVs, so I really think that we can do the same for all government offices that handle cash or accept payments,” he added.

Nograles said this basic security measure would help wipe out the culture of corruption that still exists in many government agencies despite the administration’s ‘daang matuwid’ (straight path) advocacy.