Makati City Mayor Abigail Binay has reiterated her appeal to condominium owners and managers to exercise due diligence in accepting tenants and come up with security measures to prevent drug trafficking and other related illegal activities in their areas.
Last week, police arrested two graduating college students and seized P1.5 million worth of party drugs during a police operation at Cityland Tower 9 condominium located in Barangay Pio del Pilar.
The suspects were identified as Adriel Ryoichi Suzuki, 24, and Ralph Jeffrey Esteban, 23. The two are graduating students of De La Salle University and College of St. Benilde.
Initial investigation showed that the condominium unit being occupied by Suzuki is being used in the drug trade.
But when the suspects hired a Grab Angkas to deliver their “package” in Bonifacio Global City, its driver instead turned it over to the Makati City police where the prohibited substance were discovered.
Police said the driver became suspicious of the package and turned it over to them.
The authorities coordinated with the management of Cityland 9 and raided Suzuki’s condominium unit and placed the suspect under arrest.
Binay said the incident should serve as a wake-up call to landlords and managers of private condominiums in Makati. She hopes that operators and owners of these buildings will now be more thorough in screening prospective tenants to ensure that they are law-abiding citizens.
“It would also be prudent to implement tighter security measures in your buildings, such as a surveillance system that can promptly detect and monitor suspicious activities,” Binay said.
The city chief executive said aside from their duty to ensure the safety of all tenants, condominium owners should also keep in mind that the reputation of their business is at stake.
“In your line of business, trust is of paramount importance to clients. Any hint of involvement in criminal activities, especially illegal drugs, would make current and prospective tenants feel less secure,” added Binay.
The city government recently spearheaded series of trainings dubbed as Capacity Building Program aimed to raise the level of competence of the city’s law enforcers and force multipliers in conducting the citywide campaign against illegal drugs.
Binay said with more competent and capable enforcers, lapses in operational procedure and filing of cases, including the mishandling of evidence, could be avoided.
The capacity building program is under the 2017 Peace and Order Public Safety plan of the city.