Golez: MMDA chief breaking own rules

Opposition Rep. Roilo Golez of Parañaque accused Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando yesterday of breaking his own rules.

Golez said Fernando’s giant tarpaulins along the entire stretch of Edsa and his pink road and traffic signs violate at least three rules that the MMDA chief issued for the guidance of the public and local government officials in the metropolis.

One rule is contained in MMDA Regulation 04-004 dated Sept. 2, 2004 and signed by Fernando. Golez said the regulation prohibits “signs that will pose danger (or) nuisance to motorists or may cause inconvenience to the general public.”

He said on Aug. 21, 2006, Fernando banned “commercial campaigns or advertisements” along national roads in Metro Manila then ordered that “all traffic signs to be installed in all streets of Metro Manila, whether local or national roads, shall conform to international standards.”

Golez pointed out that Fernando’s tarpaulins are clearly a nuisance to motorists and are a political advertisement, and should therefore be covered by Fernando’s first two regulations.

As for the MMDA chief’s pink road and traffic signs, Golez said they violate international color standards for such signs.

“Pink signs are for incident management warnings (like typhoons, emergency shelter). Signs for stops and forbidden actions should be red and white,” he said.

“Therefore, Chairman Fernando is violating his own rules. I believe he is imposing his whimsical and capricious taste for the color pink in pursuit of his political agenda,” Golez added, referring to Fernando’s announcement that he plans to run for the presidency.

Golez earlier said Fernando’s two new U-turn slots along the 16-lane Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City has constricted the wide highway and made it ugly.

The U-turns were constructed near Diliman Preparatory School and St. Peter’s Church. They occupy almost half of each side of the road. They were built on the second and third inner lanes, while the innermost lane was enclosed with concrete barriers.

This was apparently intended to widen the U-turns to accommodate passenger jeepneys, which make wider turns than cars. But irate residents claim passenger jeepneys using such U-turn slots are cutting their trips in violation of their franchise, and Fernando therefore is abetting trip-cutting and is not supposed to build U-turns for jeepney drivers.

What further constricts the stretches of Commonwealth Avenue where the U-turns are located is the fact that on the outer lanes are loading/unloading bays that have never been used.

Another critic of Fernando is Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, who has threatened to tear down the MMDA chief’s tarpaulins in Makati.