On no-parking rules, and Rufus’s ‘wrong timing’

Evangeline T. Carrasco and Liberato Publico

THIS concerns the comment of our distinguished colleague and highly respectable gentleman Atty. Egay Uy, our traffic consultant, in regard to the the “no parking signs” that have prevented vehicle owners from parking at or near the Divisoria, Velez, and other nearby streets. We understand his point—that said signs are being placed pursuant to a traffic ordinance passed way back in 2007, before the Moreno administration. We understand that Atty. Uy and his colleagues mean well, and we have no basis to conclude otherwise.

If the said “no parking rules” were in existence or approved during the Emano administration yet, then we could certainly still say that no proper public consultation must have been done then, and if there was consultation at that time, said rule or ordinance need to be revised by the city council in view of the bigger volume of vehicles in the city and changed circumstances. At any rate, it appears that before the Moreno regime, vehicles were allowed to park along the wide streets of Divisoria, Velez, and other one way side streets nearby, and the yellow boxes or no parking signs were not that extensive as it is now.

We could be wrong with our facts, though. But, at the moment, we, the concerned lawyers, businessmen and other citizens, are petitioning the City Council to revise the said ordinance if need be, and to specifically allow parking along some of the wide streets at Divisoria, Velez and nearby one-way streets. We can all see with our eyes that the long stretches of yellow boxes or no parking streets are hardly even utilized for loading and unloading purposes. Vehicles are compelled to circle around the streets looking for space, congesting the roads all the more. Other vehicles would even just permanently stay in their parked spaces the whole day, fearing that no more space is available if they would come back, thus limiting further the available parking space.

So many have been bothered by the clamping of the tires when vehicles are “forced” to park in no parking areas, so much quarrels and conflicts among vehicle and property owners, so much business losses, so much “high blood pressure” and so much collision and property damage have occured when vehicles are tightly compressed in limited parking spaces. It is high time for the city council to take up this problem and to pass the needed  revised ordinance for that purpose. Of course, we will always be grateful for the concern, enlightenment, and help of Atty. Uy and the sacrifices of the traffic aides.––Evangeline T. Carrasco, lawyer, Cagayan de Oro  

‘Wrong Timing’

THE announcement made by Congressman Rufus Rodriguez, coming from the politician that he is, did not come as a surprise to many.  That he is running for the mayor could be a last ditch effort on his part to stay in the political limelight because he will be stepping down from the halls of the Congress next year.

But for me, a lowly citizen who is more concerned of the welfare of the greater majority of the inhabitants of our beloved city rather than who the mayor will be, his decision to make a three-cornered fight next year serves nothing more than his personal interest.

First, his contention for the mayoralty will only increase the probability of the “alas” from making a comeback.  If Rufus is really after the welfare of the Cagayanons, then he should have allowed Oscar Moreno to continue with what he has started which has benefitted so many already with just two years into his first term.

Second, Rufus may only be pursuing his own political agenda, not what is good for the people of Cagayan de Oro.  Moreno has been, despite the obstructions put up by member crabs of the city circus who are over-subservient to the master of deception as somebody has called the latter, making waves as City Mayor of Cagayan de Oro.  Why attempt to stop Moreno from performing more for the good of the city?

Third, Rufus may be angry at the President because of his inclusion in the Napo-list as revealed to the public by the Department of Justice.  Running for mayor and shaking the future of Cagayan de Oro may be his way of getting even with what wrong he thinks the President may have done to him.  Wasn’t Rufus rumored to be one of the senatorial bets of the Liberal Party in 2016?

Fourth, fielding his wife as a candidate for the congressional seat of the second district of Cagayan de Oro speaks well of how he “loves” Cagayan de Oro.  Nenen versus Monching in 2016 will be a good match to watch because it will be a game of who has more money.  It will be game of who gets to buy more people to vote for whom.

If Rufus were truly after the welfare of the Cagayanons, and is truly a man of service, he could have offered to be the running mate of Moreno in 2016.  Of course, it means he will be going down several levels from the political ladder but it will ensure that the thrusts and directions to where Cagayan de Oro is heading will remain to be the same, thus ensuring a better Cagayan de Oro City for everyone.

With this, let me take the courage to challenge Rufus to run for vice mayor in 2016, and seal the political demise of “Alas.”  Then he could throw down his gauntlet again in 2019 in a face-off with Moreno.

That could be the best option for Cagayan de Oro. –Liberato Publico, liberatopublico@gmail.com