ILOILO CITY, Philippines — After hearing numerous complaints of the city's bad traffic condition, Chief Supt. Cipriano Querol, Jr., Police Regional Office-6 director, has ordered the immediate decongestion of the major thoroughfares.
Querol vowed to clear major city roads of obstructions, such as illegally-parked vehicles and encroachment of some businesses into pedestrian areas.
As such, he directed policemen in beat patrols, mobile patrols, Public Safety Company, and the city traffic police office to undergo a seminar on traffic-related subjects.
"Eventually, we would want them deputized by the Land Transportation Office, so as to give policemen the power to enforce traffic laws," he said.
Land Transportation Office-6 personnel the other day conducted a seminar for members of the Transportation Management and Traffic Regulation Office (TMTRO), and later for policemen of the Motorized Anti-Street Crime Operatives (MASCO) and the Highway Patrol Group.
Senior Supt. Marietto Valerio, Iloilo City Police director, said the decongestion program started on Wednesday, June 29, but it was more on information dissemination. "By next week, we would go full blast. We would also be doing arrests of traffic violators," he said.
Querol admitted that several attempts were earlier made but failed. But, "I am resolute in implementing this plan of enforcing traffic and regulations," he said, adding that it would not be easy though, considering that several violators of double or illegal parking were businessmen.
"I am just doing my job. It's about service to the people, without fear or favor," he said. "If we are being biased to any person, we might as well not advocate that program because we may not be able to accomplish our mission."
Querol further said he expected the same commitment from police station commanders in enforcing traffic rules in their areas. "If they could not perform their duty, I have no problem changing commanders even if it's on a daily basis. We need someone na hindi lang puro PCR (police community relations). We need someone who could act," he added. (FREEMAN)