Traffic enforcers from the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) show their snappy parade drills during the 81st Charter Day celebration at Plaza Sugbu in 2018.| CDN File Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines—The Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO), still determined to confiscate driver’s licenses despite the warnings of the Land Transportation Office in Central Visayas (LTO-7), will establish a 24 hours adjudication board that will be tasked to release the confiscated licenses of erring drivers.
CCTO head Francisco Ouano said that once the traffic enforcers begin to confiscate the licenses, the drivers can redeem them anytime of the day after appearing before the adjudication board and paying the necessary fine.
This was Ouano’s solution to the concern raised by drivers who were worried that once their licenses are confiscated by CCTO, they could no longer drive legally outside of the city.
Within Cebu City, drivers whose licenses were confiscated can still drive for five days without getting apprehended, provided that they show their citation tickets. This ticket is not honored in Mandaue City or Talisay City, the adjacent cities of Cebu.
Ouano said that even within Cebu City, the LTO can still flag them down for driving without a license.
He said that the proposed adjudication board will work for 24 hours to accommodate these drivers, providing them the convenience of paying their fines any time of the day.
“Amo nang gibuhat kay kahibawo mi nga walay tawo nga gusto dakpon,” said Ouano.
Ouano continues to fight for CCTO’s right to confiscate driver’s licenses that is based on a city ordinance that was signed by Mayor Tomas Osmeña in 2018.
The LTO-7, in previous statements, has asked the city government to defer the implementation of the ordinance, saying that is “bordering on the violation of constitutional rights.”
LTO-7 director Victor Caindec also insisted that the Land Transportation Code of the Philippines states that only LTO has the authority to deputize individuals and other agencies in the confiscation of driver’s licenses.
Caindec already said that he is willing to deputize regular employees of CCTO.But Ouano said that the deputization of only regular CCTO employees is not enough since non-regular traffic enforcers also need to be deputized.
He previously said he wanted to authorize 100 senior traffic enforcers to confiscate the driver’s licenses after they undergo a refresher course on how to go about it within the bounds of the ordinance.
Ouano said they hoped to implement the ordinance within February or in March.
He said they expected that their move will be opposed by LTO-7 but it won’t hold them back.
“We will be prepared. Our legal team is studying our case,” Ouano said./elb