By NITZ ARANCON,
Correspondent
ROADS and Traffic Administration (RTA) operations ground to a halt as the people directing the flow of vehicular traffic in the city left their posts to take part in a protest march as an offshoot of the Dec. 30 killing of their operations chief Cris Cabingas.
Joining the RTA were members of the traffic division of the Cagayan de Oro City Police (Cocpo).
The so-called solidarity walk, from 8:30 am to 10:30 am, resulted in traffic jams around downtown Cagayan de Oro.
Lawyer Jose Edgardo Uy, Task Force Hapsay Dalan chairman, said the “solidarity walk” was the RTA organization’s show of indignation over Cabingas’s shooting death, and its way of sending a solidarity message to the public.
“RTA is a solid organization, ug dili kay sayon-sayonon lang. Dunay panaghi-usa, ug mobarog alang sa hustisya,” Uy said.
He said it was also RTA’s way of pointing out to the public that it is every citizen’s obligation to follow traffic rules even if traffic law enforcers are not around.
“Tan-awa karon nga nag-martsa kami, walay namadlong nga enforcers di na-traffic ang atong syudad,” he said.
The demonstrators gathered at Gaston Park, and started the “solidarity walk” through Capistrano St., Divisoria, Corrales Ave., CM Recto Ave., Osmeña St, Cogon area, JR Borja St., Don Apolinar Velez St., the rotunda, Masterson Ave., Macanhan in Carmen, Vamenta Blvd, Gaerlan St., Ysalina Bridge, and back to Divisoria.
At Kiosko Kagawasan in Divisoria, they offered prayers for Cabingas.
About 250 RTA workers took part in the “solidarity walk.”
Councilors Zaldy Ocon and George Goking joined the demonstrators as their way of showing solidarity with them.
Traffic aides, who were joined by members of Cabingas’s family, cried out for justice.
“Loyal kaayo siya sa iyang trabaho. Halos wala na siyay panahon sa iyang pamilya kay nagsigi lang og duty, unya patyon lang?” Cabingas’s sister Queenie told the Gold Star Daily.
She said she and her family have yet to come to terms with Cabingas’s death.
“Pagka hibalo namo nga gipusil siya na-shock gyud mi. Dili mi makato-o. Sakit kaayo among gibati nga karon patay na siya,” Queenie said.
Cabingas was shot while directing the traffic near Cogon market at around 6 pm on Friday. He died at the Maria Reyna Hospital on Saturday morning, hours before the new year.
Police said the shooting death was workelated, and that a suspect has already been identified.
Cabingas’s body lie in state in his house in Barangay Macabalan. Interment would be at the public cemetery in Bolonsiri, Camaman-an, at 1 pm on Sunday.
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