Baguio law compels transients to register, monitor criminals

BAGUIO CITY – Transients visiting this tourism resort will soon have to register their names where they stay to lessen crime. 

The city council recently approved on first reading a proposed ordinance requiring all house owners, lessors and operators to register names of tenants, lessees, boarders, bed spacers of transients whose stay in the barangay is for a period of more than one week in the barangay registry.

Councilor Leandro B. Yangot, Jr. said it has become the modus operandi of most criminal elements to spend some nights and transfer from one house to another to commit crimes and avoid arrest .

The ordinance authored by Yangot said it is a policy of the local government to protect its constituents and maintain peace and order, and preserve the comfort and convenience of their inhabitants..

The ordinance added it is intended to deter criminal elements from perpetuating crimes inside rented properties or to elude arrest by becoming transients from one place to the other and facilitate ease in tracking suspected or convicted criminals.

Under the proposed ordinance, all owners of townhouses, apartments, condotels, condominiums and boarding houses who lease their properties to tenants, renters, boarders, bed spacers or transients should oversee the registration of their prospective tenants, lessees, boarders, migrants or transients by requiring the latter to present a valid identification card with photo and National bureau of Investigation (NBI) or police clearance.

 The said owners, lessors and operators shall be required to pay a registration of P50 to the barangay for the registration of their supposed tenants.

 Within five days from commencement of the stay of the tenants, lessees, boarders, migrants or transients, the ordinance stipulated that the owners and operators shall submit to the barangay a registration form duly accomplished by their tenants.

Any house owner, lessor or operator found guilty for violation of the ordinance will be penalized with a fine of P1,000 for the first offense, P3,000 for the second  and P5,000 for the third.

The ordinance said barangay officials assisted by the local police authorities shall enforce the local law and record their findings in their house renter registry book.

According to him, the registry of tenants, renters, boarders, migrants or transients within the territorial jurisdiction of the barangay are lacking to date, thus, a barangay registry is essential so that it may aid in the apprehension of lawless elements or for the protection of the house owners and the public in general.

Article 2, Section 5 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides that the maintenance of peace and order, the protection of life, liberty, property and the promotion of the general welfare are essential for the enjoyment by all the people of the blessings of democracy.

A tenant or lessee is a person who pays rent to use or occupy land, a building or other property owned by another. -- Dexter A. See