CEBU, Philippines - Mandaue City Council's committee on laws and ordinance will look into the intention of the officials of Barangay Magui-kay to create its own traffic control and management in its territorial jurisdiction.
Vice Mayor Carlo Pontico Fortuna, the council presiding officer, tasked council chairman on committee on laws Nilo Seno to review Barangay Ordinance No. 11-11-2016 creating such position to manage the traffic situation in the barangay.
"Can the barangay create a traffic office?" Fortuna, a lawyer by profession, asked, saying that it's the City Council, and not the barangay, which has the specific power to regulate the use of streets as provided for under Section 458 of the Local Government Code.
Fortuna believes that barangays have no power to regulate streets and traffic in the city.
"Not sure if they can because the power to regulate the roads is not among those powers given to the barangay," he said.
The city has an existing ordinance that was renamed from Traffic Efficiency Development and Management (Tedman) to Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (Team) in 2011.
In the Barangay Ordinance No. 11-11-2016, proponent barangay councilman Edgar Cabahug explained that the barangay enacted the ordinance to address the emerging traffic congestion attributed to the development of some business in their area.
"The Council deems necessary to create such position to manage traffic situation in the barangay," Cabahug said, adding that the creation is only limited to their jurisdiction, at which barangay traffic enforcers will be asked to implement and monitor barangay traffic rules.
The barangay will also assist the city traffic management as necessary.
If the ordinance will be approved, the barangay will appropriate an honorarium of P5,000 to each of four barangay traffic enforcers. (FREEMAN)