City dad chides punong barangays' backing of LODA
City Councilor Eduardo Peñaredondo urged his colleagues at the Sangguniang Panlungsod not to give weight to the endorsement of several barangay captains on the letter of appeal made by a group of drivers.
Fifteen punong barangays from Jaro supported the appeal made by the Leganes Drivers Association (LODA) to continue allowing their jeepney units to enter the city routes.
Peñaredondo, who is the council's majority floor leader, said "city councilors are not under the authority of barangay captains" adding, "it is not the business of the barangay captains to dip their hands in the works and functions of the city council."
The Leganes route is one of the routes that will be affected by the impending 30-day traffic experimentation. Though, the traffic experimentation has yet to be implemented, the LODA headed by its president Jun Lacanaria has already expressed opposition to it.
The traffic experiment would affect public utility vehicles coming from the southern part of Iloilo and municipalities under the Metro Iloilo Development Council (MIDC) such as Leganes, Oton and San Miguel.
Antique bound public utility jeepneys are also included in the pending traffic experimentation. Currently, these routes are allowed to enter Iloilo City with the use of car passes. The impending traffic experimentation will shorten the MIDC routes as preparation for the opening of the Infante vehicular fly-over.
Peñarendo said they are not at war with the barangay captains. He said, barangay captains just have to remember that they have no business in intervening with affairs of the city council. "We should not be afraid of them, whether they will vote for us or not in the future."