ILOILO City – During yesterday’s Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) regular session, a proposed measure amending an ordinance that gave traffic aides the authority to confiscate drivers’ licenses hurdled first reading.
Mayor Jerry Treñas asked the SP to strip traffic aides of such power granted by Ordinance No. 338-1992.
“There is a need to harmonize the provisions of the local city ordinance with those of Republic Act (RA) 4136 and national government agency issuances,” read part of the proposed amendments.
RA 4136 provides that only duly deputized law enforcement and peace officers of other agencies are authorized to confiscate the license of an apprehended driver while DILG-DOTC Joint Memorandum Circular No. 01, S. 2008 provides that “the LGUs (local government units) can issue traffic citation tickets but only the LTO (Land Transportation Office) and their deputized agents can confiscate divers’ licenses” and this provision was reiterated through a DILG memorandum dated Sept. 14, 2022.
According to Councilor Sedfrey Cabaluna, chairman of the SP committee on transportation where the proposed measure was referred, the sentence in Section 1 of the existing ordinance which stipulates that traffic enforcers and policemen are authorized to confiscate driver’s license is removed.
“City policemen and traffic aides are hereby empowered to issue traffic citations to violators of city traffic ordinances, such traffic citations to be in such standardized forms as prepared by the City Legal Office,” stated the amended version of the ordinance.
Moreover, Section 3 will be amended. Instead of 24 hours, erring drivers will be given 72 hours from the time of the apprehension to question/protest or pay for his fine to the City Treasurer’s Office or else a case will be filed against him.
The proposed ordinance stipulates that “in the event such person desires to question or protest the issuance of such traffic citation or payment of such fine is not made within the 72-hour period, it shall be presumed that it is being protested and the Office of the City Treasurer shall stamp mark the traffic citation as ‘Protested’ and, within 72 hours thereof, forward the same to the Office of the City Prosecutor for immediate filing at the Municipal Trial Court in Cities in Iloilo City, to be dealt with in accordance with law.”
“This does not mean it would be easier for them to run away from traffic violations. Kon ako palantawon, mas masikot pa gid ni sa ila… Kon indi pa gid nila paggawaron ang ila nga citation tickets, cases will be filed in the Municipal Trial Court. Kinanglan nila magkadto sa korte, atubangon nila ang mga kaso and this will be put in their record also kon magkwa sila sang mga clearances,” said Cabaluna./PN
