Labella: Review anti-counterflow policy in the city

Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella is asking Mayor Tomas Osmeña to review his executive order, especially the penalty provision that requires 30 days impoundment of vehicles apprehended for counterflowing traffic.

Labella said the anti-counterflowing policy needs to be reviewed due to the gravity of the penalty.

“Such revisit should also give him a chance to ask his lawyers to re-evaluate the legal basis of the punitive EO. It would be unfortunate if, after a promising start, the campaign for road discipline flounders because it could not stand legal challenge,” Labella said.

The vice mayor said there should also be a public consultation to hear the sides of all concerned stakeholders.

“While credit should be given to the mayor for thinking outside of the box in providing for impoundment, it would not hurt neither him or his campaign to listen to all stakeholders and revisit his order,” Labella said.

Labella was not the only city official calling for the review of the policy. The opposition councilors earlier approved a resolution asking the mayor to review his EO. Osmeña, however, turned down the request from the City Council.

Osmeña said he would allow Labella to propose an amendment to the policy considering that the latter is a lawyer.

"Yes of course, over the last 30 years Labella gave me only one recommendation, to train the lupons leading to national award. After 30 years he gave me second suggestion for him to lead a team of city lawyers to help reconstruct the land titles of Pasil fire victims, " he said.

"It's good politics if he makes recommedations, bad if he just criticizes. Does he have something to offer? People might want to know," Osmeña said.

Labella clarified that while he is asking for a review of the policy, he fully supports the mayor's campaign to instill road discipline.

“I wish to categorically state that I fully support the campaign of Mayor Tomas Osmeña enunciated in his Executive Order 34, against counterflowing and all forms of road indiscipline in the city,” he said.—