E-scooter group in Cebu City questions legality of apprehensions

Members of the Sugbo Skootero hold a protest in front of the Cebu City Transportation Office on Wednesday, October 28, 2020. | Photo Courtesy of Sugbo Skooteros

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Sugbo Skooteros plan to go the Cebu City Legal Office (CLO) to question the legality  of apprehension of electronic scooters (e-scooters) in the city.

Doctor Evanuelle Mendoza, the founder and president of Sugbo Skooteros, said the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) already verbally agreed to allow front liners to use the e-scooters to work and to observe maximum tolerance when apprehending users of these motorized scooters.

But he said a pharmacist was still apprehended without proper citations and the scooter was immediately confiscated. Two more other users also lost their scooters to the CCTO over what they allegedly called “illegal apprehension.”

READ MORE: Banning E-scooters from major thoroughfares, city roads is for safety of the public – Labella

“They are implementing a law they do not understand. So we have no choice but to take the legal route,” said Mendoza.

The Skooteros held a short marching protest at the CCTO’s F. Ramos Street building to call the attention of the agency over the apprehensions.

Read: Cebu City dad on ban of E-scooters: ‘It is untimely’

However, seeing that they could not convince the CCTO to release the scooters, Mendoza said they will instead go to the CLO to discuss the legality of the apprehension. They are also planning to file criminal charges such as theft for the illegal confiscation.

Mendoza admitted the group is disappointed with the recent apprehensions as the riders were seemingly treated with martial law-like justice.

They feel that the coordination with the city government’s Ad hoc Committee became useless after these apprehensions.

CDN Digital tried to reach CCTO Head Alma Casimero but she has yet to issue a response as of this posting.

Read: Cebu e-scooter group offers to help gov’t

Mendoza is hoping that the city government could properly implement the laws with human considerations, especially that most users of the e-scooters are medical front liners.

/bmjo