No more grease money with joint LTO-police checkpoints Suzzane Salva-Alueta Cebu Daily News
November 14, 2006
Joint checkpoints by the police and the Land Transportation Office (LTO) will be conducted in order to reduce incidents of “mulcting” by abusive traffic enforcers or deputized agents.
Police officials from the region and Cebu’s cities on Monday signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the LTO to promote and maintain traffic safety and order in the presence of Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.
The new deal put in force a prior agreement inked in 1975.
“There is now coordination and collaboration between the (police) and the LTO in the implementation of traffic laws, rules and regulations and including the issuance of Temporary Operators’ Permit (TOP) to erring drivers,” Garcia said.
“Lipay ta kay dili ka deny ang badlongon nga deputized agents (We’re happy because the deputized agents can’t deny our presence),” LTO Regional Director Alex Leyson said.
Garcia agreed, saying the public has been complaining about questionable apprehensions of deputized LTO agents.
“Maybe through this MOA ma klaro asa kutob, kinsay naay (it would be made clear who has the) authority to issue TOPs,” she said.
With the deputization of the police, the LTO would review existing arrangements with deputized members of non-government organizations (NGO) and civilian groups.
“All existing deputization or authorization issued to NGOs, civilians, groups found to be inefficient and duplicitous will be reviewed, reassessed, canceled or revoked,” Garcia said.
“We thank the volunteerism and civic spiritedness of NGOs and civilian groups,” she added.
“Balik ta sa unsa man gyuy tarong nga paagi (Let’s go back to what is the proper way). Those that are expected to enforce the law should be the one to be deputized to apprehend violators. I don’t think we lack enough LTO or PNP personnel to do that,” Garcia added.
Civilian groups, however, could still be used in case-to-case basis, she said.
“For civilians, there must be a request from the chief of police of the local government concerned for the LTO to designate a particular civilian group to assist in the traffic management for a particular activity,” the governor clarified.
Present in the signing were Leyson, Senior Superintendent Vicente Loot, chief of the provincial police; Superintendent Melvin Gayotin, acting police director; Superintendent Ronald Roderos, regional deputy director for administration; Senior Superintendent Eduardo Catabas, Mandaue police chief; and Senior Inspector Fabio Cedeńo, the acting chief of the Cebu City Traffic Division.
