Zaldy seeks ouster of Oro traffic czar

By LITO RULONA
Correspondent

COUNCILOR Zaldy Ocon yesterday called for the ouster of city hall’s traffic czar, a move seen to be an offshoot of last week’s slapping incident at the city council involving the legislator and a traffic aide.

Ocon said he has drafted a proposed resolution that seeks the replacement of Task Force Hapsay Dalan chairman Jose Edgardo Uy as overseer of the Roads and Traffic Administration (RTA).

He said the resolution, if approved, would seek to disallow Uy’s appointment as RTA overseer and his chairmanship of the task force created by Mayor Oscar Moreno to handle the city’s traffic problem.

Ocon questioned Uy’s qualifications on traffic planning and management. He said Uy is a lawyer by profession, and has not been known to be an expert on vehicular traffic planning and management.

Ocon  said RTA chief Nonito Oclarit should serve as the only head of the RTA.

He blamed Uy for city hall’s hiring of “unqualified” and “poorly trained” traffic aides.

“Kulang og seminar gani ang mga traffic enforcers. Grabe sab karon ang problema sa traffic og walay kasulbaran. One solution is to replace Uy,” Ocon said.

He said Uy has done nothing susbstantial when it comes to RTA planning, and therefore, he would be recommending to Moreno that Uy be replaced.

“Dili na kini siya asset sa Cagayan de Oro. I am willing to stand by my word,” he said.

The councilor’s call for the ouster of Uy came days after the alleged slapping of traffic aide Ric Emmanuel Agustin inside the session hall of the city council by the councilor. Uy has confirmed the slapping and claimed that he and Oclarit witnessed how Ocon hurt the traffic aide who, a day earlier, had a spat with the councilor over a traffic violation near Cogon market.

Uy has yet to give his comment to this paper at presstime. But over local radio, Uy said he was not the one who slapped another person and so, he should not be the official who should be pressured to resign.