A proposed ordinance banning the use of cellular phones inside commercial banks in Dumaguete City was referred back to the committees on trade and industry and peace and order, after it appeared to have lost the support of the members of the City Council.

Vice Mayor William Ablong, proponent of the ordinance, made the motion after hearing the opinions of the City Council members, as well as of officials of the Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. and the Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

The measure, which was scheduled for second reading last Thursday, seeks to impose a P300 fine on any bank client or employee who uses a cellular phone inside the bank. It also seeks to strengthen a policy of the Negros Oriental Bankers' Association established in 2002, prohibiting the use of cellphones inside banks.

Ablong said his proposed ordinance was meant to thwart the robberies committed against persons who had just withdrawn large sums of money from some 28 commercial banks in Dumaguete.

Police records revealed that eight incidents have occurred in Dumaguete in the past several months. Of the eight holdup victims, five were from out-of-town.

Supt. Dionardo Carlos, police city chief, who was invited to speak before the City Council Thursday, said they could not really establish that cellphones were used by accomplices to alert the holduppers who were waiting outside the banks.

"I agree that this is all based on suspicion. But the point is that information from inside the bank got out, through whatever means."

He, however, said that holdups are "minimal" compared to the common street crimes.

Businessman Ed Du, director of NOCCI, told the Council that the proposed ban on cellphone use inside banks may not be business-friendly. "We need our cellphones to transact business. The proposed law may only create unnecessary arguments and it is also difficult to impose as no bank will ever dare to report a valued client to the police for using a cellphone," he said.

Greg Uymatiao, representing the NOCCI and the FCCCI, relayed the suggestions of the two chambers of commerce to instead leave the matter to the discretion of banks especially that new security measures are being implemented.

"There is now a requirement of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas for all banks to install video cameras," he said.

Councilor Manuel Sagarbarria, who is also the president of the NOCCI, said he called for a meeting with the directors of the NOBA last Wednesday and discovered that most bank managers are against the proposed law.

One bank manager said the logic of the proposed law was flawed.

"If they say that cellphone use inside banks is the reason for the holdups, they might as well ban cellphones altogether. On second thought, they might as well close all the banks," he said.

Councilor Saleto Erames, said the proposed ordinance could be improved by a more thorough study by the City Legal Office. "We have not established by conclusive evidence that criminals use cellphones to warn their conspirators outside the bank."

Erames said the right of an individual to carry a cellphone must prevail over the right of the local government to regulate its use.*RG

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