Tomas offers to help LTO process papers

CEBU, Philippines — In what appeared like a rejoinder to his earlier criticism against the Land Transportation Office – 7, Mayor Tomas Osmeña went on Facebook yesterday to make the agency an offer: The city will help LTO work on the 13,000 vehicle registrations that have not been processed.

“No matter how well or poorly LTO-7 does in Mambaling tomorrow, the City Government would like to make them an offer: Cebu City will assign additional personnel and equipment to LTO-7 to assist them in processing the 13,000 backlogged registrations in their office. We ask for nothing in return,” the mayor wrote.

“Our only interest is to let the Cebuanos use their vehicles without fear of being fined 12,000 pesos… After all, their regional director has said only they can enforce the traffic. So we will assist them with other equally important tasks nalang,” he added.

Osmeña’s threat to sue the officials of LTO-7 for their alleged failure to release the registration of vehicles and motorcycles on time ignited a social media war between him and LTO-7 Director Victor Caindec.

Caindec challenged Osmeña to resign if LTO can do a better job in addressing the traffic problem in the city’s south, particularly in Barangay Mambaling where an underpass is being constructed on N. Bacalso Avenue.

Just last Friday, a week after the public faced the brunt of a new traffic scheme, Osmeña responded to Caindec’s challenge by deciding to pull the city’s traffic personnel out of Barangay Mambaling so LTO can deal with the situation.

The mayor also said he will step down from office and endorse Caindec to the mayorship if LTO can solve the problem.

But Caindec did not take the bait and said LTO will not field personnel in Mambaling.

In a statement also last Friday, he said he has yet to clear the “conditions” before taking over management of the traffic situation.

“Personally, I look forward to seeing the legal terms the Mayor will present to this arguably interesting albeit unorthodox challenge,” he said.

Yesterday, Caindec belied Osmeña’s Facebook post, which said Presidential Adviser for the Visayas Michael Dino is reportedly working on sending personnel to back LTO up.

Osmeña wrote:

“I am being told by my friends in the national government that despite what you may read in media today Undersecretary Michael Dino is already pulling all the strings to import additional personnel to assist regional director Victor Caindec for when he takes over traffic operations in Mambaling Monday morning. LTO, LTFRB, DOTr, DPWH, and even DENR personnel from outside Cebu are being mobilized. Naa raman diay na.”

Caindec said he does not know where Osmeña got his information. Dino also refused to make a comment.

“I don't know where he got his information. Maybe he is hallucinating,” he told The Freeman.

“Why does he seem to be very interested in LTO? Is there something in my office that makes him lose sleep? Mura og mo twinkle man gud iya mata basta LTO. Unsa kaha naa?” Caindec added.

Caindec said earlier that he can relate to the public’s sentiment on the traffic condition in the south because he lives in the South District.  Yesterday, he reiterated that LTO will not field personnel in Mambaling.

The other day, Cebu City Transportation Office chief Francisco Ouano advised the public to hit the streets extra early.

He admitted that having no personnel to man traffic will be a problem.

“Dako gyud na nga problema kun walay enforcers didto kay traffic gani nga naa pay enforcers. Samot na og wala,” he said.

“Hands-off gyud mi sa Mambaling kay maoy order ni mayor,” he added. (FREEMAN)