AND IT CAME to pass that road obstructions are now a thing of the past in “I Am Iloilo City”. Or are they?
Well, that is if the people concerned – and let’s call them “road obstructionists” – trembled in fear and immediately obeyed Mayor Geronimo Treñas’ order/ultimatum giving them a week to comply or else the city government will take matters into its own hands.
Mayor Geronimo’s order/ultimatum officially started Thursday last week, July 25, and it’s exactly a day and week, meaning the grace period has expired.
On that note we expect two things to happen: one, the “road obstructionists” obeyed the good mayor’s order/ultimatum and started clearing the roads on their own accord resulting into no more road obstructions in “I Am Iloilo City”; or two, they simply ignored Mayor Geronimo and the roads remain as obstructed as usual.
If Scenario One happens, then well and good for all the natives of “I Am Iloilo City”, the roads going in and out and all around the city are finally cleared of obstruction and Regional Director Ariel Iglesia of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) will not have cramps on his hands signing all those suspension orders. Mayor Geronimo Treñas can breathe a sigh of relief that he will not be suspended.
This also means that travel time from Jaro Plaza to Parola will dramatically be reduced. Well, that is if they can discipline those “anarchists”…errrr…PUJ drivers to show a little road courtesy.
But if Scenario Two happens, then we can expect the Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO) and Task Force Against Squatters and Illegal Structures (Task Force ASIS) doing massive clearing operations on the roads of “I Am Iloilo City”, and DILG’s Iglesia developing hand cramps from signing all those suspension orders for noncompliant barangay officials. Of course, Mayor Geronimo Treñas may very well be suspended.
And traffic in “I Am Iloilo City” remains the same, taking an eternity to get from Jaro Plaza to Parola while the natives and commuters curse to high heavens riding that hot, crampped and uncomfortable obsolete jeepneys.
So, what brought all this fuss about?
Excerpts from the July 29, 2019 issue of Panay News:
Treñas issues ultimatum: one week for voluntary removal of road obstructions
The city government has given owners of structures obstructing roads a week to remove them. “If they will not dismantle the obstructions, the city government will have to act accordingly,” said Mayor Jerry Treñas.
Illegal parking won’t be tolerated, too, according to the mayor who is acting on the order of President Rodrigo Duterte for local chief executives to reclaim all public roads that are being used for private ends.
“We are asking for voluntarily dismantling,” said Treñas, or the city government would order a demolition.
The weeklong ultimatum started on July 25.
Leading the effort are the city government’s Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO) and Task Force Against Squatters and Illegal Structures (Task Force ASIS).
The city government has also tapped the help of the Iloilo City Police Office and Land Transportation Office.
“I hope people will understand. This is a direct order from the President. The city government is complying or we will face suspension,” said Treñas.
He is also enlisting the assistance of barangay officials through the Office of the Barangay Affairs.
“Indi lang ako. Barangay officials will also be suspended where illegal road structures and obstructions are found,” said Treñas.
According to Regional Director Ariel Iglesia of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Western Visayas, the President repeated his order during a meeting with the mayors and governors on July 23 at Manila Hotel.
The following day, July 24, Treñas issued a memorandum order on the road clearing.
On July 25 and 26, the PSTMO conducted an inventory of city streets with obstructions.
During his State of the Nation Address on July 22, President Duterte ordered DILG secretary Eduardo Año 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-suspendmo, 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.
So, there. You go straight from President Rodrigo Duterte’s mouth himself ordering all local government officials from governor, mayor down to the barangay level to clear the roads from obstructions or face suspension.
The natives will either see a lot of local government officials suspended or roads cleared of illegal obstructions. Whichever way the natives will be smiling./PN
