Duterte orders re-enforcement of speed limit

By LILIAN C. MELLEJOR

DAVAO CITY– Starting Monday, Aug. 17 the city streets here will no longer be a free zone for over speeding drivers as Mayor Rodrigo Duterte signaled the strict re-enforcement of the city’s speed limit law after he suspended its implementation more than a week ago.

With the re-enforcement of the law, the mayor said he will dismiss erring traffic officers from the City Traffic and Transport Management Office (CTTMO), the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) and the Traffic Group under the Philippine National Police (PNP). He also said he will run over enforcers of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) if they get involved in illegal activities.

“I will work for your summary dismissal,” he warned, reminding traffic enforcers that extorting money from motorists in exchange for traffic infringements is equivalent to robbery. “You have to stop it,” Duterte ordered.

Duterte said enforcers can still earn extra money aside from their salaries if they are just industrious. He cited the incentive given to them by the city government. “Take advantage of that because it is freely given by the city government to make you more responsible in your work,” he said.

Duterte stressed the Speed Limit law will remain until the end of his term. “There’s no way that I will lift…it has assured us of a safe highway, safe roads,” he said, adding that there may be some fatal accidents but it involved only motorcycles.

About a week ago, Duterte temporarily suspended apprehension on Speed Limit violation in this city after receiving complaints on mulcting traffic enforcers. He ordered all apprehending traffic personnel from LTO, TG, HPG and CTTMO to temporarily stop issuing Temporary Operating Permit (TOP) for traffic violators until such time that the Local Government will issue Identification Cards visible to the public.

In his ‘Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa’ television program on Sunday, Duterte explained he was looking for an effective solution or way to at least stop extortion of traffic enforcers against drivers violating the Speed Limit law.

Duterte said the IDs, which feature the enforcer’s photo, name, the mayor’s signature back to back, could be the solution to stop extortion. “It is not really aesthetically good for police officers but they have to understand – we have to respond to the complaints of the public,” he said.

For speed limit violators who resort to bribing traffic enforcers some P150 to P200 in exchange for their driving license or commonly known as “areglo” rather than paying hefty fines of P1,500 or more, Duterte said enforcers can file complaints of bribery against involved drivers.

He said traffic enforcers can technically arrest drivers trying to bribe them. “It’s a crime,” he said.

Meantime, among the 368 employees of CTTMO, 60 can apprehend traffic violators while 14 are specifically for speed limit apprehensions. CTTMO enforcers are city-paid employees.

There are 76 personnel under TG and 18 of them are deployed as speed limit enforcers. (pna)