LGUs have until Friday to clear roads or face admin raps

CEBU, Philippines — All local government units (LGUs) have until Friday to finish the road clearing operations (RCO).

Local officials who failed to comply with the directive will face appropriate administrative cases, said the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

They were given 60-day to comply with the RCO.

“Now that the holidays are over, we expect all LGUs to pick up where they left off in their road clearing operations. They were supposed to start November 16 last year up to January 15,” DILG Undersecretary and Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said in a statement.

Despite the January 15 deadline, LGUs are reminded that the road clearing operation is a year-round endeavor that requires sustained effort and implementation.

“Balik trabaho na naman po tayo kaya kailangan nating seryosohin ang road clearing para sa mas maluwag na lansangan at para na rin sa kapakanan nating lahat,” said Malaya.

Under DILG Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 2020-145, areas under the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), including Cebu island, are expected to fully implement the RCO 2.0 by Friday.

Full implementation includes the removal of road and sidewalk obstructions, conduct of road inventories, physical removal of road obstructions without prejudice to the property rights of the affected stakeholders, crafting and implementation of displacement plans, rehabilitation, and maintenance of cleared roads, and creation of a grievance mechanism.

Malaya said that validation of provincial, city, and municipal compliance would be conducted from January 18 to 22 of this year.

Included in the items to be validated by the DILG Validation Teams are the tricycle route plans in their respective areas to ensure that alternate routes are provided to tricycles which are prohibited by law from operating on national highways across the country.

“As we begin the New Year, we must also continue our transition to the new normal. This calls for the need to ensure that our roads remain safe, accessible, and free from illegal and potentially hazardous encroachments,” Malaya said.

President Rodrigo Duterte issued the directive in his 2019 State of the Nation Address, urging local governments to "reclaim public roads which are being used for private ends." — KQD (FREEMAN)