Uphold the law

Egay Uy

THANKS to lawyer and Senior Supt. Faro Antonio Olaguera, Cocpo director, for the full support extended to the TF Hapsay Dalan and Roads and Traffic Administration.

Incidents involving traffic aides of the RTA and members of the Cocpo are attended to with dispatch such that working relationships between the two government offices have been smooth.

Add to that the excellent working relationship between the RTA-TFHD and the Traffic Unit of the Cocpo headed by Col. Dominador Nantes Estrada.

Thank you, Sirs, for the support.

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According to the news, a petition signed by lawyers was submitted to the Office of the City Mayor and the City Council “to take action and conduct hearings on the no-parking rules, summon traffic officials, and find ways to ease the traffic congestion in the city.”

The news item also reads, the “group expressed its alarm over the lack of parking spaces in many areas in Cagayan de Oro, and blamed this on the massive ‘no parking signs’ which traffic officials have indiscriminately put up without consultation and without regard for the people’s needs for parking spaces.”

I’m not saying that we will not look into the matter, but let me inform those who signed the petition and the affected parties that the “no-parking” regulations that are being implemented are existing provisions of the Traffic Code of Cagayan de Oro City or City Ordinance 10551-2007.

The allegation that the “no-parking” signs were “indiscriminately put up without consultation” may be jumping into wrong conclusions because the current RTA leadership has merely implemented an existing city ordinance.

I understand that parking space has become scarce in some areas because of the implementation of the existing Traffic Code especially that prior to July 2013 there was a wanton disregard of traffic rules and regulations due to the failure of the then city officials to uphold the law.

It would help if the group could dig into the records of the City Council that passed the Traffic Code to ascertain if indeed there was no public consultation prior to the passage of the ordinance.

(Egay Uy is a lawyer, city hall consultant, and chairman of the Task Force Hapsay Dalan.)