Labella to “nag” on PRRD’s promise

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella will make sure that President Rodrigo Duterte's promise to help the traffic situation will soon be realized.

Labella said he will not only remind Duterte but will nag the Office of the President, through the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas, so that the president will not forget his promise.

"Bisag ingnon ko nila nga kulit kaayo, pero ako gyud sila kuliton... traffic is a very serious problem," said Labella.

He has appointed lawyer Jerone Castillo, the City Treasurer, as the point person in connection to the follow-up on the promise from the Office of the President.

Labella said Castillo is fit for the assignment since he used to work at the Department of Public Works and Highways.

In his first Sinulog attendance, President Rodrigo Duterte promised Cebuanos that he will look for funds to help accelerate the railway project to solve Cebu’s traffic problem which he described as “horrendous.”

Duterte said Cebu’s roads could no longer be expanded, or if they could, not that wide because Cebu “is an old city.”

Labella said he feels honored and humbled because the president did not only attend the Sinulog festivity, but also promised to help the city.

He said Duterte, despite his very hectic schedule, still chose to attend the event at the City Sports Center.

"In his speech, he made it clear that he came because he loves the Cebuanos," said Labella.

The president also once again warned those involved in the illegal drug trade that he will not think twice in killing them because illegal drugs “will kill my country.”

He specifically mentioned that the drug problem is widespread in Talisay City.

"Although it was not addressed to Cebu City, but I am warning the drug dealers, especially the drug protectors, to stop doing it here. Because I have specific instructions to Cebu City Police Office Director Pol. Col. Engelbert Soriano that there should be a no-nonsense enforcement whatever it takes," he added.

Meanwhile, Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino said yesterday that Duterte’s statement on building trains for Cebu has boosted their morale.

The president has mentioned in his speech during the Sinulog Grand Parade last Sunday that trains or skyways will be the best solution to address the traffic and mass transport situation in the metro.

"This boosts our morale knowing that we have started working on the Integrated Intermodal Transport System (IITS) in Metro Cebu and the President agrees and even encourages it," Dino said, in a statement.

The OPAV secretary said that there is really no other way to solve traffic here but to go up and that is to build monorail with the capacity of a Light Rail Transit.

"There is an unsolicited proposal for monorail with the capacity of LRT submitted to NEDA for approval and I am pushing for it so there will be partial operability by 2022," Dino said.

Dino also highlighted the tremendous support of Secretary Arturo Tugade of the Department of Transportation in making this project happen.

"We needed this mass transportation years ago and thankfully we now have a president that cares for his people, and loves the Cebuanos just as much," Dino added.

Dino said that we need an honest to goodness mass transport system that will be relevant for generations to come.

"I personally would like to thank the president for giving the Cebuanos an assurance that IITS will happen, even promising to help find the funds for it," Dino added. (FREEMAN)