City officials tolerate traffic violators?
A traffic auxilliary in charge of licenses blamed some city officials for the limited implementation of fines for drivers who violate traffic rules.
Rafaelito Jamolo, license-in-charge of the Traffic Management and Engineering Unit (TMEU) disclosed that top officials of the city government usually give clearance for the release of the drivers' Temporary Operator's Permit (TOP) without paying the necessary fines.
Jamolo's statement was in answer to the allegation of City Councilor Erwin Plagata that traffic aides engage in under the table transactions relative to the issuance of TOPs.
Jamolo said among the officials who have lobbied for the release of the licenses of erring drivers are Mayor Jerry Treñas, Vice Mayor Guillermo de la Llana, City Administrator Melchor Tan, Executive Assistant Francis Te, Councilor Jose Espinosa III and even TMEU chief Robert Foerster.
Jamolo said once the TOP of a driver is signed by any of said officials he can do nothing but release it.
Because of the said practice a lot of drivers are able to recover their licenses without paying fines at the City Treasurer's Office.
The fines vary depending on the traffic violation committed by the driver.
Jamolo however does not discount the possibility that traffic enforcers fielded on the streets are milking the driver violators in exchange for their licenses.
Jamolo said there are even cases when the drivers have to look for the apprehending traffic aide to get their driver's license since their licenses were not directly turned over to the TMEU.
Plagata in last week's regular session of the Sangguniang Panlungsod claimed that there are people, referring to traffic aides, who make money out of the issuance of the TOPs against erring drivers.
Plagata based his statement the figures submitted by City Mayor's Office relative to fines collected due to traffic violations.
In May 2006, the City Treasurer's Office collected P365,360 from the issuance of the TOP. The fines cover 6,775 erring drivers.
Plagata said he has received information that the TMEU lowers the violations of the apprehended drivers for a fee. He suspects that the collection on the issuance of the TOP is much higher compared to what is actually collected.