CCTO head: Raps to be filed against people who harassed traffic enforcers in Sirao

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) is set to file charges this week against the people involved in the commotion last Saturday, August 12, in Barangay Sirao, Cebu City.

According to Raquel Arce, head of CCTO, these people harassed the CCTO personnel during their operations outside the famous flower garden in the barangay.

Arce said that they already requested the Cebu City Police Office to gather the identities of all the people involved in the commotion.

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People harassed CCTO personnel, vehicle

She said these people harassed the CCTO personnel by blocking the CCTO vehicle using huge rocks to stop them from leaving the area unless the personnel would remove the clamp on the vehicles.

“Gibabagan nila og dakong bato ang ligid sa sakyanan unya sila mismo maoy niharong nga ipa-unclamp. Ni-request sila nga ipa-unclamp. Gitubag ra sila sa atoang [personnel] nga ‘Pwede man ma unclamp, sir, kalma lang,” she said.

(They put a big stone in front of the tire of the vehicle and they were the ones who confronted and asked (the CCTO personnel) to unclamp the clamped vehicles. Our (personnel) replied that ‘Yes, it can be unclamped, sir, just cool down.)

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The tension took almost an hour until the police arrived, Arce said.

She said that later on, the vehicles were unclamped.

Arce said that they would charge those people, including the owner of the flower garden for “disobedience to the agent of a person of authority, harassment, and grave threat.”

She said that the owner was “very aggressive” during the operation.

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CCTO clamped ‘unattended vehicles’

Based on earlier reports, on Saturday, the CCTO personnel clamped vehicles outside a famous attraction in Barangay Sirao.

In an interview with Arce on Tuesday, August 15, she said that she was not there when the incident happened but she sent a team composed of three mobile patrol cars (two personnel in each car) and a team leader.

“They’re being sent there tungod kay naay reklamo nga nadawat ang atong opisina. Kaduha na ang maong reklamo with matching videos,” she said.

(They’re being sent there because our office received a complaint. This was the second time that we received the same complaint with matching videos.)

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She told CDN Digital that she directed the personnel “to verify” the complaints “to execute” appropriate charges.

She said that it happened around 9:30 a.m. and the CCTO personnel arrived at almost noon.

“Pag abot nila (personnel) didto, ni wangwang sila. Kita sila nga naay mga nakapark unya kita sila’g signage nga “no parking” (the personnel saw that the vehicles were parked where a “no parking” signage was installed),” she said.

She added that as a protocol, the personnel called out the drivers to “pull out” because they parked in a “no parking” area.

There were 12 vehicles at that time, however, only four vehicles remained parked while the others pulled out.

Arce told the reporters on Monday that those four vehicles were considered “unattended vehicles” which was why they clamped them.

Complaints

Arce said that “obstruction” was the complaint they received in their office.

“Dili na makaagi ang mga sakyanan. [For instance kung] padung sila mo uli or padung sila mogawas sa ilahang mga balay kay tungod puno sa sakyanan dihang dapita every Saturdays and Sundays,” she said.

(The vehicles could not pass through. [For instance kung] when they go home or when they head out of their houses because that area is full of vehicles every Saturdays and Sundays.)

When their office received the complaint last month, however, she said that there was no action taken because she read the complaint “not on a Saturday.”

“This Saturday (August 12), nakadawat na sad ko sa message with matching videos, pictures, so mao to nga ni-decide ko to send my team didto sa area,” she added.

(This Saturday (August 12), I received again a message with matching videos, pictures, so that is why I decided to send my team there in the area.)

‘There was a notice’

Arce clarified to CDN that “there was a notice” from the CCTO asking the drivers to pull out.

“Precisely, mao nang upat na lang ang naclamp, dili ang 12, kay we informed them,” she said.

(Precisely, that is why there were only four vehicles that were clamped, not the 12, because we informed them.)

She added that it was not true that they clamped the vehicles without notice.

“Kung gilahos pa og clamp, dili kay upat ra na kabuok. Puno ang area, puno ang geparkan so dili kay upat ra na kabuok if gilahos pa og clamp,” she said.

(If we immediately clamped the vehicles, that would not only be four vehicles. The area was full, the area where they parked was full so it could not have been only four vehicles if we immediately clamped them.)

‘Nobody is above the law’

When asked if there was a settlement between the CCTO, and the owner of the flower garden, she said that appropriate charges would be filed to those who would deserve it.

“Yesterday, gipatawag sa mayor. Giklaro sa mayor nga kung adunay pag-pangabuso sa among habig, pwede ming pasakaan og kaso. Same goes kung aduna say pagpangabuso sa pangharass sa pikas nga habig, then file-lan jud og kaso because nobody is above the law. Mao toy instructions sa mayor,” she said.

(Yesterday, they were called by the mayor. The mayor made it clear that if there were abuses on their part, they can file a case against them. Same goes to them, that if there were abuses or harassment on the okters side, then we will file a case because nobody is about the law. That are the instructions of the mayor.)

She said that this was the stand of the CCTO, and the Traffic Management Office (TMC) Board supported the CCTO to file a case against the people who “disobeyed” them.

“It was a legitimate operation unya gi-disobey nila (and they disobeyed them),” she said.

‘Off-street parking’

On the other hand, Arce said that drivers should ask clearance from the CCTO.

“Kung moapply ka for a parking, murag off-street kanang dili sudlonon. Dili within the building, daplin ra ka sa dalan, you must seek clearance sa CCTO,” she said.

(If you apply for a parking, that is off-street, the ones that are not in the interior portions. As long it is not within the building, it is only in the street. then you must seek clearance from the CCTO.)

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