The Department of Justice has backed the enactment into law of a House of Representatives’ bill requiring private and public facilities to install closed-circuit television cameras.
In a single-page legal opinion, the DoJ said there is no legal impediment for the adoption of the substitute bill entitled “An Act Requiring Business Establishments, Public Offices and Facilities, School and Local Government Units to install CCTV cameras to deter the commission of crimes and prescribing penalties for violation thereof.”
The Justice department lauded the House’s revision on earlier bills to remove distinction between public officers and private individuals in application of 30-day compliance period in cases of violations.
“Seeing that Section 19 [Penalties] of the new draft substitute bill substantially complies with our suggestion, we interpose no further objections,” read the opinion signed by Asst. Secretary Adonis Sulit.
“We also commend the TWG [technical working group] for adopting our prescribed penalty for the bill which is imprisonment not exceeding six months or a fine of not exceeding P50,000 or both,” the DoJ said.
The DoJ opinion was issued last Dec. 14 at the request of the TWG of the House committee on public order and safety.