Caindec has himself to blame, says Tomas

If Land Transportation Office-7 chief Victor Caindec is getting death threats, he only has himself to blame.

This was Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña's comment to news reports saying Caindec has been receiving threats recently amid a simmering word war with the mayor on the social media.

“He has himself to be blame. At first I hit the LTO in general over the payment of P12,000 penalty of driving without registration, which is the fault of LTO. The idiot answered revealing his name and said that if these drivers can't be patient, they don't deserve to drive,” Osmeña told The FREEMAN yesterday.

Caindec said he intends to report the threats to the cybercrime unit of the National Bureau of Investigation but believes authorities can only do so much, especially since those who sent the threats allegedly used fake online accounts.

The exchange of harsh words between Osmeña and Caindec started when the former declared filing legal charges against LTO-7 officials for their alleged failure to process the registration of vehicles and motorcycles on time.

Caindec fired back at the mayor, daring him to give up the top city post if Caindec could solve the monstrous traffic in the south district caused by the ongoing construction of underpass project along N. Bacalso Avenue.

In response to Caindec's challenge, Osmeña pulled out the traffic aides deployed in the depressed areas in the south, letting LTO-7 take over.

But the LTO-7 director did not take what he called was “a bait” from Osmeña. The mayor eventually reinstalled the traffic enforcers last Tuesday following reports of horrendous traffic in the south.

Osmeña believes that Caindec is touching on the issue of traffic to divert the public from his agency's alleged failure to process the registrations on time.

“He alone identified himself as the culprit and insulted the 13,000 grieving applicants to boot. It was only then that I heard it was him. I didn't even know how he looks like. Now, I'm afraid that some people don't like him so much,” Osmeña said.

After Osmeña reinstalled the traffic aides three days ago, the traffic situation there has improved, according to Cebu City Transportation Office operations chief Francisco "Isko" Ouano.

Ouano said traffic congestions occur only during peak hours.

“Makita gyud nato nga kompara atong wala'y traffic enforcers, niarangarang gyud ang traffic, moving ra. Tungod na sa presence sa atong enforcers nga nag-man sa traffic,” he said.

A total of 24 traffic aides are deployed in the area and divided into two shifts, from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 a.m.

To note, since the construction of underpass started in August 2017, commuters and motorists in the south have had to survive horrendous traffic.

All vehicles going to north district are advised to pass southbound lane of N. Bacalso Avenue. All southbound vehicles are directed to pass smaller access roads such as Tagunol Street, E. Sabellano Street, Caimito Street, among others.

All minibuses, buses, and delivery trucks access the Cebu South Coastal Road (CSCR).