City of San Fernando, Pampanga councilor Redentor Halili has withdrawn the proposed ordinance which will require establishments to hire security guards prior the issuance or renewal of their business permits.
Towards the end of the hearing on January 18 at Heroes Hall, with the representatives of the business sector, CSFP police and media in attendance, Halili, who is the Chairman of the Committee on Peace and Order, announced that “I will no longer pursue the ordinance.”
Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PamCham) co-founder and Romac Group of Companies owner Rene Romero, who led the opposition to the said ordinance, expressed joy over the withdrawal.
Romero declared, “This is a huge victory for the business sector, especially for those who are still recovering from the effects of the pandemic.”
During the hearing, Romero reiterated that the proposed ordinance is ‘anti-business, not necessary and arbitrary’ and said that the hiring of guards should be the prerogative of the business operator, instead of being mandatory, emphasizing the downtrend on crime from 2021 to 2023, as reported by the PNP.
According to Romero, “It is not appropriate for the local government to impose such mandates on businesses.”
Moving forward, Romero said that instead the business sector will continue to partner with the government “in pursuing a peaceful and orderly community, would the public safety of the populace as top priority.”
