City to continue implementing traffic ordinance despite EO 712
The city government will continue to implement its local traffic ordinance specifically the Perimeter Boundary Ordinance (PBO) pending the issuance of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Executive Order No. 712 recently issued by President Gloria Macapagal.
Mayor Jerry Treñas said the city will have to wait for the IRR of EO 712 which directs the immediate review of existing orders, rules and regulations issued by the local government units concerning public transportation including the grant of franchises to tricycles, establishment and operation of transport terminals, authority to issue traffic citation tickets and unilateral rerouting schemes of public utility vehicles and for other purposes.
Treñas said there are still issues that needs to be resolved relative to the issuance of EO 712. The matter has already been discussed between Land Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) director Porferio Clavel, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) director Evelyn Trompeta and Councilor Erwin Plagata, chair of the committee on transportation and public utilities of the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
Treñas said there is a need for the publication of the EO before it becomes effective. The EO must be published in a national newspaper of general circulation. The order must be coupled with an IRR before the local government could implement such order.
However, it could not yet be ascertained on whether the city's traffic ordinance is covered by such EO. Section 7 of EO 712 said "all other orders, issuances or portions thereof which are inconsistent with their Executive Order are hereby revoked, amended or modified accordingly." An ordinance is not an order, said Treñas.
Portion of EO 712 said the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) is directed to immediately review all existing orders, rules and regulations issued by local government units concerning public transportation within their jurisdiction including the grant of franchises to tricycles, establishment and operation of transport terminals, authority to issue traffic citation tickets and unilateral rerouting schemes of public utility vehicles.
In the PBO, the city government established several transport terminals and initiated rerouting of city jeepneys. The recent traffic ordinance likewise cut short the routes of out of town jeepneys especially those coming from the then Metro Iloilo Development Council (MIDC) towns.