ILOILO City – If the Public Safety and Transportation and Management Office (PSTMO) were to be believed, 95 percent of public roads and sidewalks here have been cleared of obstructions. PSTMO chief Jeck Conlu expressed confidence the city government would be able to pass the evaluation to be conducted by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
This 95 percent, according to Conlu, are mostly major public roads and highways while the remaining five percent are public roads and sidewalks in barangays.
“Confident kita nga naobra naton ang tanan. Confident kita sa aton accomplishment,” said Conlu.
Mayor Jerry Treñas agreed there are still public roads and sidewalks in barangays yet to be cleared. He then announced he won’t be disbanding the teams tasked to do the clearing.
“Sige-sigehon ta ini kay it has done so much good to the city, especially to the public nga nagalakat-lakat sa Calle Real,” said Treñas.
In September, Treñas appealed for the cooperation most especially of sidewalk vendors.
“This road and sidewalk clearing is happening all over the country as a result of President (Rodrigo) Duterte’s directive. We cannot do otherwise but follow,” he stressed.
The PSTMO would be sustain the road and sidewalk clearing operation, said Conlu, and it won’t allow vendors to return.
“Pasangkaron
pa gid namon kay dugangan pa gid ni
Mayor ang amon equipment kag kinahanglanon,” said Conlu.
Sept. 29 was President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadline for local government units to
reclaim public roads being used for private ends.
DILG Region 6 will form teams to validate the road clearing. Members will be from the Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine National Police, civil society organizations, and DILG, said Director Ariel Iglesia.
Non-compliance to the road clearing order would result in the filing of appropriate administrative charges pursuant to Section 60 (c) of the Local Government Code of 1991 and other existing laws and policies.
To ensure that no obstructions would make a return to public roads and sidewalks, Iglesia urged local government units to sustain the road clearing operations.
“It doesn’t mean tapos na ang road clearing after the deadline. This is a continuing responsibility of all the local officials down to the barangay level. Ito talaga ‘yung trabaho,” said Iglesia.
In fact, said Iglesia, the President’s road clearing order was just a reiteration of existing laws, rules and regulations that local government officials should have been enforcing.
Local chief executives who fail to comply with the president’s directive would face sanctions ranging from a reprimand, suspension, to dismissal from the service./PN
