Tomas: Anti-counterflow EO to continue
Despite of the complaint filed against him before the Office of the President, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña will continue to implement Executive Order 34 or the anti-counterflowing policy which penalizes erring drivers.
This was Osmeña's statement after Land Transportation Office-7 Regional Director Victor Caindec accused him of gross negligence, dereliction of duty, and grave abuse of authority, among others.
“Yes (implementation)… Let me explain, when you're counterflowing, you're committing reckless driving and that is a criminal act. And your motorcycle is the evidence of the crime. So in the meantime, we hold your motorcycle up to 30 days,” Osmeña said.
Caindec filed a complaint last August 20 for him to know whether or not the city government has an authority to impound vehicles.
For him, the local government unit (LGU) is not authorized to impound vehicles but only the LTO.
In his complaint, Caindec cited Republic Act or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code which provides that only LTO has the authority to impound vehicles.
Caindec further said the mayor has violated Section 60, paragraphs c, e, and h of Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code.
“I am humbly requesting the Office of the President of the Republic of the Philippines to conduct an investigation and impose the corresponding disciplinary action, if warranted, on Mayor Tomas Osmeña for possible violation of Republic Act No. 7160,” a portion of the complaint stated.
The conflict between Osmeña and Caindec started when the mayor disclosed that he plans to file charges against LTO officials who are responsible for the delay in vehicle registrations.
To recall, in February this year, Osmeña drafted the EO against counterflow driving or “driving left.”
Those whose vehicles caught violating the order will be impounded for 30 days. The storage area of impounded vehicles is at Big Foot Studio situated in South Road Properties (SRP).
Osmeña said the anti counter flowing policy has made the city streets more orderly and drivers are now disciplined. Vehicular accidents were also lessened.
“We have to put more discipline in our streets, so I'm pushing the limit. That's all for the betterment of the city,” he said.
The mayor is willing to answer the complaint filed against him. He believes that Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino was behind Caindec's move.
Dino and Osmeña are also not in good terms because of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project in Cebu City that Osmeña is pushing and Dino is blocking.