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By LITO RULONA
Correspondent .

CITY administrator Teodoro Sabugaa yesterday called on organized motorela owners and drivers to stretch their patience, explaining that city hall needs to “harmonize” the ordinance that increased their fares with other laws.

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Sabugaa said this after an alliance of motorela owners’ and drivers’ organizations criticized Mayor Oscar Moreno for what it said was an executive inaction on the motorela fare increase already approved by the city council.

Sabugaa urged the group not to speculate and understand that city hall is following a process.

“After we receive the approved ordinance coming from the city council, we have to wait for 10 days because it needs to be reviewed first by the City Legal Office,” he explained.

The legal office, he said, would then send it back to the mayor’s office that would again ask the Office of the City Administrator to finalize it or submit its recommendations. This, according to Sabugaa, would take another 10 days.

“Dili pwede nga mo-ingon kamo nga langay-langayon,” he said.

But Sabugaa said the ordinance, even if unsigned by the mayor, would be in effect 15 days after it has been reviewed by City Legal Office.

Last week, Sonny Hinosolango, convenor of Alyansa MP3, complained. He pointed out that the ordinance was approved by the city council in April.

Alyansa MP3 is an alliance of 10 motorela drivers’ and owners’ groups in the city.

Hinosolango said their petition for a P1-increase in motorela fare or to P7, the first in 10 years, was approved by the city council. The measure was authored by Councilor Teodulfo Lao Jr..

He said the organization was disappointed because Moreno did not act on it yet.

Sabugaa maintained that the process have to be followed.

“The intention of the executive is to harmonize all approved ordinances. Hulatan lang nato kay tua pa sa legal and licensing,” he said.

Based on the Lao ordinance, the new motorela regular fare is P7, and P5.50 for high school and college students, senior citizens and those with disabilities, and P4 for elementary graders.

The new ordinance imposes a P500-fine on drivers found overcharging.

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