ILOILO City – Two city councilors questioned the act of a fellow councilor who issued provisional authority to tricycle operators with expired registration.
According to councilors Romel Duron and Plaridel Nava, Councilor Sedfrey Cabaluna’s issuing and signing a provisional authority on his own initiative is illegal; it did not pass through the city council.
“This is not only something that affects the integrity of the city council. This is also a violation of the law. This is my first time to encounter this kind of provisional authority,” said Nava.
Cabaluna is the current chairman of the city council’s committee on transportation.
Nava stressed no city councilor is empowered, even if one is the chairman of the committee on transportation, to issue a provisional authority to tricycle operators to operate.
“Only an ordinance can be passed granting provisional authority,” he added.
Duron, meanwhile, noted that when he was the chairman of the committee on transportation, he always asked the concurrence of the city council in the issuance of provisional authority through an ordinance.
He also described Cabaluna’s act as a usurpation of legislative power, malfeasance in office, and grave misconduct.
“I have talked with LTO (Land Transportation Office). Such provisional authority is defective because it states there it is only for one month, when normally it is for one year,” said Duron.
He noted that he learned about the provisional authority issued by Cabaluna when there was a group of operators who went to his office and asked for help because the LTO Region 6 will not honor the provisional authority issued by Cabaluna.
Cabaluna, on the other hand, defended his move.
He said he consulted the LTO regarding the concern of the tricycle operators and drivers who could not renew their registration pending the passage of the franchise ordinance that will establish and consolidate the tricycle route in the city.
“Namangkot ako sa LTO in the person of Jonas Torres on what can we do to assist our tricycle drivers as only to the registration of their official receipt-certificate of registration (OR-CR). Ang sabat sa akon bisan provisional authority lang anay para maka-process sila sang OR-CR. Sin-o pwede mag-issue? Siling, bisan sa opsina lang anay,” Cabaluna narrated.
He stressed he was careful and did not in any way indicate that the provisional authority was an extension of franchise nor give tricycles the authority to travel to certain routes.
It was emphasized that it was issued relative to the renewal of the registration of tricycle units with the LTO.
Cabaluna, who was emotional while responding to Nava and Duron, expressed his sentiments on them, who were both former chairmen of the committee on transportation.
“Ang ining mga inputs sang aton mga konsehal, mga manong ko, sang ginluad ninyo ang komitiba kag ginbaton ko bisan alang-alang ang akon kapasidad, naghambal ko nga buligan niyo lang kay wala man ko gapa-expert-expert diri. Nagapamati man ako. Ti, karon ari na aton gin-obra. Lapit na lang naton ipasa ang franchise ordinance sang tricycle. Sang aton committee hearing nag-attend man ang inyo representante, didto gin-ayo sang mga tricycle drivers nga samtang ginahulat namon ang franchise ordinance, that will establish and consolidate the tricycle route, paano kami nga expired na amon registration? Wala ‘ko gapaalam-alam. Ano karon ang aton obrahon? Namangkot ako sa LTO, ” he narrated.
At the end of deliberation regarding the issue, Nava asked for an assurance from Cabaluna that he will refrain from doing it again.
The latter responded that he was advised by the LTO “to put on hold further issuance of provisional authority for the purpose of reconciling the different views of the good council.”/PN
