BACOLOD City – The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) will assist the Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO) address the vandalizing of traffic signage.
Vandalizing traffic signage could lead to unsafe driving conditions and potentially result in accidents, warned Police Colonel Noel Aliño, BCPO director.
“The installation of road signs is intended to ensure the safety of both motorists and pedestrians,” he stressed.
The police are prepared to support the BTAO in this endeavor, although Aliño emphasized that the responsibility should not rest solely on their shoulders.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) also has a role in the installation and maintenance of road signs and should therefore contribute to the effort, according to Aliño.
Additionally, the BCPO plans to develop a program aimed at preventing and apprehending individuals who vandalize or steal road signs.
They will also revisit the city’s existing ordinance that prohibits vandalism to determine if any amendments are necessary.
Patrick Lacson, the head of BTAO, had previously expressed his intention to request assistance from the BCPO to tackle the issue of road sign vandalism.
According to City Ordinance No. 08-14-679, series of 2014, also known as “An Ordinance Prohibiting the Acts of Vandalism, Imposing Penalties for Violations Thereof, and for Other Purposes”, violators of this ordinance are subject to a fine of P3,000 and/or imprisonment for three to six months for the first offense.
For the second and subsequent offenses, the penalties increase to a P5,000 fine and/or imprisonment for six months to one year.
It has been observed that a significant number of the violators are believed to be minors. (Watchmen Daily Journal)/PN
