Traffic in south given to LTO

OSMEÑA ACCEPTS RESIGN CHALLENGE

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña is letting the Land Transportation Office - 7 deal with the traffic situation in the south following a challenge by its chief, Victor Caindec, for Osmeña to resign if LTO can solve the problem there.

“Mayor, ang Mambaling dugay na ka palpak. What’s the metric to improve and I’ll show you how it’s done. Nya mo resign ka og mabuhat?” reads Caindec’s Facebook post last Thursday night.

Yesterday afternoon, Osmeña announced also on Facebook that he will pull out personnel of the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) from Barangay Mambaling where the underpass project is being constructed on N. Bacalso Avenue.

If Caindec can solve the traffic problem in the south district, he will let LTO deal with the problem in other parts of the city, step down as mayor, and even endorse Caindec for the mayorship.

“I will give you Banilad, then Salinas, then the rest of the city, at which point, you will finally be doing the job that LTO is supposed to do in the first place, instead of letting the LGUs make up for your deficiencies. Be successful and I will be the first to shake your hand and congratulate you,” he said.

“I will even let you manage traffic during the Sinulog. If you can do these things better, not only will I resign, I will endorse you for mayor under the full machinery of Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan so it will be more than just the fixers at LTO who will vote for you,” Osmeña added.

At least 12 traffic enforcers were deployed to area as a new traffic scheme was implemented to kick off the start of work for the project's phase four.

When the new scheme was tested last weekend, traffic lasted up to 17 hours.

Since the underpass project began last year, vehicles were directed to smaller access roads such as E. Sabellano Street, Caimito Street, and Tagunol Street.

The exchange of words between Osmeña and Caindec began when the mayor threatened to sue LTO-7 officials for their alleged failure to release the registration of vehicles and motorcycles on time.

In a statement to The FREEMAN, Caindec said LTO will not succumb to political pressure.

"LTO-7 under my leadership will do the work we are tasked to do regardless of political pressure, and will continue to focus on the work we do for the people, as directed by no less than President Rodrigo Duterte himself," he said.

He said the mayor's decision to pull out traffic personnel from Mambaling is his decision alone.

"His threat to pullout CCTO out of the city's streets is his decision alone. The city will have to live with that consequence and decide eventually if the mandate given to Tomas is well deserved or not. In my book, we deserve the politicians we deserve — yes even those alleged to have cheated their way to where they are," Caindec said.

On Osmeña accepting his challenge, Caindec said:

"Klarohon sa nako niya how he will define the conditions by which he will acknowledge that I would have done a good job, and hence he will resign the Mayorship .... Personally, I look forward to seeing the legal terms the mayor will present to this arguably interesting albeit unorthodox challenge."

CLAMPING

Meanwhile, Mabolo Barangay Captain Niña Mabatid questioned the move of the city's traffic group to clamp a garbage truck of the barangay last Thursday night.

The truck and three other vehicles were clamped allegedly because they were parked along the street, said CCTO operations chief Francisco Ouano, but Mabatid argued they never received any warning from the city.

She said the barangay's vehicles, the garbage truck included, have always been parked along the street at the back of the barangay hall for several years now because they don't have a parking space.

She believes the move is politically motivated.

“Mao nani naandan nga parkingan sa among sakyanan even before, pila ka terms nga under sa previous administration. Again, tungod aning kalagot sa atong mayor nako. Dumot ra gyud ning iyaha,” Mabatid said.

The conflict between Mabatid and the mayor started when Mabatid expressed interest to run for president of the Association of Barangay Councils. Osmeña's group, the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan with whom Mabatid was allied, is pushing for Kasambagan captain Franklyn Ong for the presidency.

On June 18 following the controversy involving Mabatid and a hotel here, Osmeña ousted Mabatid from BOPK.

Mabatid said the barangay will pay for the fee to remove the clamps but said she expects more moves to come.

“Wala naman gyud na siya'y konsensya, wala gyud na siya'y kaluoy. Grabe naman na siya uy. Sa ka-neophyte nako sa politics, this is a culture shock for me. Sobra na gyud ang iyahang gibuhat nako. Wala pa gyud ko niya undangi hangtod karon,” she said.

Osmeña, however, denied that politics have something to do with the vehicles getting clamped.

“I got complaints from citizens,” he said.

Ouano also said they received reports that the vehicles have hampered the flow of traffic in the area.

“Being the head of the barangay, ilaha unta pangitaan og paagi nga dili maka-hamper sa traffic ba. Kibaw sila nga grabe ang traffic,” he said.

“Nag-clamp ta, no, and nag-clearing operation ta sa uban. Ang amo sad nakita diri, kutob sa babag sa panan-aw, labi na makacause og traffic, amo gyud siya buhaton. Dili ra man sad ilaha atong gi-single out,” Ouano said.

Records show at least 17 vehicles were clamped in Mabolo that night.