Is LBC in it, too?

Egay Uy .

THE robbery at the LBC Divisoria branch the other week has tainted the otherwise positive peace and order image of the city.  It had to be investigated more seriously.

The joint committee meeting of the Trade and Commerce under Councilor George Goking, and the Police, Fire and Public Safety under Councilor Romeo Calizo was timely called just days after the Sunday heist.  It was not the first time that the LBC was a “victim” of robbery.  In a span of two or three months, there had been four robberies in LBC outlets in the city, according to the police officers who attended the joint meeting.

Google will also tell us that the robberies in LBC outlets are just happening in Cagayan de Oro.  A few months earlier, LBC outlets in Butuan City and in Nasipit town were almost simultaneously robbed in a single afternoon.  And there have been robbery incidents in other LBC outlets in the Visayas, and in Luzon.  The robberies are nationwide in scope.

The local management of LBC appeared to be helpless in coming up with measures to at least deter future incidents of robbery that have regularly victimized them.  As revealed, it is the policy of the LBC head office not to engage the services of blue guards.

As observed by the city police representatives, the physical configuration of the LBC outlets makes them easy or soft targets of robbers. There was even an observation that the money vault of the LBC in Divisoria is kept open in plain view to the public whenever the outlet is still open for business.

What is surprising is the failure of LBC to pursue cases against those who rob them, citing difficulty in complying with the requirements of the police in support of the filing of cases. It appeared during the joint meeting that LBC is accepting its fate as a favorite easy prey of robbers.

Is LBC in it, too? It may be hard to believe, but all these make one think aloud. Who could be the insurer of LBC against robbery or theft? And who could be the owners of the insurance firm? I am not insinuating anything but it will be best for LBC to clarify these to erase doubts.

LBC has to fully cooperate. Robberies not only taint the positive peace and order situation of the city but also expose the public to possible collateral damage.

(Egay Uy is a lawyer. He is the chairman of the city’s Regulatory and Complaint Board, chairman of the city’s Joint Inspection Team, and co-chairman of the City Price Coordinating Council.  He retired as a vice president of Cepalco.)