Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas said he is considering the possibility of increasing fines on those who commit vandalism in the city. He said he is currently looking into the matter with the City Legal Office to see if the penalties suggested in the ordinance on vandalism can be raised.
Last year,  Iloilo City Public Safety and Transportation Management Office head Jeck Conlu proposed raising penalties against acts of vandalism from P5,000 to P50,000 plus 100 hours of community service; however, a formal proposal has yet to materialize.
The Iloilo City government was also looking into the matter more recently amid an ongoing vandalism problem along the Iloilo River Esplanade. Just last month, Treñas said he is considering measures such as closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera surveillance, increased police presence, along with vehicles in order to pursue assailants.
“If there are savings, we will buy motorcycles and bikes because the police [are] requesting additional vehicles,” the mayor previously said. “We ask [for] police [to] help in securing public property.”
“We are also looking into the possibility of installing CCTV cameras [along the] Esplanade,” he added./WDJ