BAGUIO CITY– With the city’s continuing campaign on anti-road obstructions, the task force recently formed by Mayor Mauricio Domogan chaired by City Engineer Elpidio Garabiles convened the different agencies and barangay officials so as to thrash out strategic solutions to address illegal obstructions and illegal parking along public roads and highways within this city.
ABC President and Councilor Michael Lawana stressed the important role of barangay officials in monitoring their respective jurisdictions’ violators of the said law considering the lack of police personnel to implement the same.
In order to properly implement the law, the barangay officials are required to submit lists of qualified officials and/or tanods to be representatives of the barangay.
“Said officials will subsequently be formally deputized by the mayor and will undergo a mandatory training,” said Lawana.
In Administrative Order No. 116 of Mayor Domogan, the 128 punong barangays are directed to implement the enforcement of Operation Anti-road Obstruction in their jurisdictions and to closely coordinate with the Baguio City Police Office through its various police stations.
“It is our function to cause the removal of illegally parked vehicles, equipment, including junked items that are parked, occupying or protruding to the roads, construction materials occupying the right-of-way such as sand, gravel, cement, lumber and steel bars, earth spoils, waste materials, debris, embankment, heaps and the like and all kinds of illegal structures such as houses, buildings, shanties, stores, shops, stalls, sheds, canopies, billboards, signages, advertisements, fences, railings, garbage receptacles and the like obstructing city roads and streets in accordance with existing laws and regulations,” Lawana added.
Moreover, fines to be collected from violators of the said law will be divided between the city and the barangays concerned on a 70%–30% sharing scheme.
A “Notice of Violation” will be issued to violators and they will be given seven days to remove whatever obstructions, otherwise, the task force will undertake the appropriate actions.
“In order to solve the worsening traffic congestion in the city, we have to be firm in the implementation of the standing policy of the city against obstructions and at the same time urging barangay officials to identify common parking spaces for their constituents,” said Domogan.
The task force has initially implemented the administrative order and will fully implement it in the barangay level while the deputation of barangays officials is being awaited. **Jho Arranz
