What’s with the traffic lights?

Ben Contreras

IT’S funny when you are trying to find something and you couldn’t, and just when you think you’ve lost it, suddenly, out of the blue, it appears. Such was the case with Vince Amora’s calling card.

Engr. Bede Vince Pimentel Amora, proprietor of KIV Marketing/Microtrade GCM Corp., bagged the contract for the P91-million traffic system with CCTV project during the administration of Dongkoy Emano. It was not able to start right away because there was a change in city hall’s administration.

The contract went through a review and scrutiny during the early months of the Moreno administration. It took a while before the contract was declared by the City Legal Office to be in order––meaning, nothing was found to be questionable.

Amora received his first down payment, and the work began. After another accomplishment report, he received another partial payment from the city government. But along the way, it suffered a glitch.

Engr. Sherwin Cabactulan recommended that all 43 intersections should be installed with loops or Adaptive Signal Controllers. At whose cost, the recommendation did not state clearly. But it suggested that the contractor should shoulder the cost.

KIV proposed an amendment Order No. 2. After months of failed negotiations, Engr. Cabactulan and Engr. Nonito Oclarit (noted by Atty. Jose Edgardo Uy, chair of Task Force Hapsay Dalan and cosultant for the RTA and CEED) sent a letter dated July 3, 2015 to Atty. Beda Joy Elot. It reads: “We would like to reiterate that we are recommending that the installation of the Adaptive Signal Controller and Vehicle Detectors of the Traffic Light Signal Project covering all forty-three (43) intersections be required of the contractor…)

On July 16, 2016, Atty. Elot sent KIV Microtrade a letter about the recommendation of Engr. Cabactulan and Engr. Oclarit.

On Aug. 24, 2015, the contractor wrote a letter to Elot, City Accountant and Team Leader of Task Force on IP-Based CCTV/Traffic Signalization, about the following: “Fixed-Time Traffic Controller – 28 sites/intersections” and “Fully Actuated Traffic Controller – 15 sites/intersections”.

Whether Amora’s proposal is acceptable or not remains to be seen. But the fact is, we have seen the traffic lights working for months, and the Command Center is in place. As such, Amora should be paid for what he has accomplished. Why the sudden stoppage? And when people start to complain and ask questions, some traffic lights also started to function. Are we missing something here? Is the city government avoiding payment?

Amora claims nothing is wrong with his installations except that Engr. Cabactulan insist on his recommendation. If I may ask Sherwin, “Kung mu-order ka ug pancit unya gusto nimo padungagan ug mga pasayan, dili lugar ka mudugang pud ug bayad?”

The City Legal Office found nothing wrong with the contract. Why not pay more if it wants to add something more? Unsa diay nang “loop,” wala palita? Or is there another reason for that?

“My father told me that if I am on the right side, never be afraid of anything,” said Vince.