ILOILO City – Following President Rodrigo Duterte’s order for local chief executives to reclaim public roads that are being used for private ends, the city government here started an inventory of city streets with obstructions.
Today is the second of the two-day inventory that started yesterday.
Mayor Jerry Treñas tasked the Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO) to do the inventory in coordination with the Office of Barangay Affairs and barangay councils.
“They were given two days to go around the city to check kon diin ang mga road obstructions. Ang order is really to eventually clear the streets of obstructions,” said Treñas.
During his State of the Nation Address on July 22, President Duterte ordered Secretary Eduardo Año of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to be tough on local chief executives tolerating road obstructions.
“If there is a mayor or a governor or kung ano kang…sino kang demonyo ka, i-suspend mo, Sir Año. Give him time and if he cannot, if he is not up to it, then papahingahin mo na lang. Suspend mo na,” said Duterte.
According to Jeck Conlu, PSTMO chief, barangay captains of villages where roads have obstructions would be summoned.
“Those obstructing roads would be issued with notices then ordered to remove the obstructions,” said Conlu.
If they refuse to voluntarily remove the obstructions, Conlu said, his office would do the removal or demolition.
From yesterday’s initial inventory, Conlu said, most of the obstructed roads are in the City Proper. He cited one case – the streets around the Iloilo Terminal Market.
He urged barangay officials to cooperate with the PSTMO in the inventory.
Their help is “critical”, he said, because they knew about the road obstructions in their barangays, said Conlu.
The PSTMO chief said streets cleared of obstructions would ease traffic congestion.
“Daku nga bulig because ang aton karsada ma-maximize ang paggamit kag mabalik naton ang aton karsada and sidewalk sa riding public,” said Conlu.
On Wednesday, DILG Region 6 director Ariel Iglesia urged local chief executives to heed the President’s directive.
“Public roads are supposed to be used as roads. Hindi dapat ibigay sa ibang gamit like naging tindahan, terminal at kung anu-ano pa,” said Iglesia.
According to Iglesia, while Metro Manila was in the mind of the President when he issued the order, the reclaiming of public roads should be carried out in other areas, too./PN
