More routes for free bus rides for BPO workers opened

FOLLOWING the death of another call center agent at dawn last Saturday, Cebu City’s free bus ride program has opened another route.

This time, it will be for Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) employees who come from the city’s hinterland villages.
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, in his Facebook page, announced on Saturday afternoon the new route, from a gasoline station in Barangay Pit-os to BPO hubs at the Cebu Business Park and Cebu IT Park.

“By request, there will be an additional shuttle route beginning today to cater to those from Pit-os, Bacayan, and Talamban,” Osmeña announced on his post.

The additional route has been operational since Saturday night.

In the same post, the mayor showed text messages coming from call center agents who live in the hinterland villages who were worried for their safety after the killing of call center nurse Cristina Jayson.

“Mahadlok na [kaayo] mi mayor. Among mga duty pang-gabii intawon. Grabe ka mga walay kasing-kasing mga tawhana pamatyon man oi,” one text message read.

“Mayor, please protect us BPO employees. A friend got killed last night. This is already very alarming,” another text message read.
Osmeña also said that four shuttle services already have closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed for security within the vehicles.

Osmeña added that “more will be installed when we have more cameras.”

The mayor also said that he will have village watchmen or ‘tanods’ assigned in every bus, if no policemen are available, to help keep the passengers safe.

The free bus ride program of the city government stemmed from the killing of call center agent Loraine Temple on last month.

Temple was walking along Pope John Paul II Avenue from her workplace at the IT Park at around 3 a.m. on October 3 when she fought off robbers who tried to snatch her bag. Temple was shot dead by the robbers.

Starting November 12, the city started its shuttle services to ferry passengers to Cebu IT Park in Barangay Apas from pick up points in cor. Juan Luna and M.J. Cuenco Avenue in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu Provincial Capitol, Fuente Osmeña, Harrison Park, Abellana National School, and Colon Street.

Meanwhile, police investigation in the killing of Jayson is at a stalemate as her family seeks justice for her death.

Senior Supt. Alvin Llamedo, commander of the Talamban Police Precinct said they are having a difficult time establishing the identity of Jayson’s assailant as there are no CCTVs in the area where the crime happened.

He also said Jayson’s former boyfriend whom they considered as a person of interest, also did not know how to drive a motorcycle.

“Ang amo ani, among sutaon kon di man kahibalo ang among persons of interest mag-motor, posible ba kaha nga naa ni siya’y gisugo, (We will determine if our persons of interest cannot drive a motorcycle, is it possible that he hired somebody)” Llamedo said. /With Correspondent Benjie B. Talisic