Rama Orders Citom, Police to Intensify Presence in SRP

(Cebu City PIO) — Mayor Michael Rama gave marching orders to the police and city traffic aid enforcers to be deployed at the South Road Properties following the fatal car crash last Saturday dawn that claimed five lives.

In his press conference on Monday, March 16 via video conference, he tackled the issue on the SRP situation and called CCPO chief Sr. Supt. Conrad Capa to check on the matter and to intensify police as well as CITOM presence in the area.

He also ordered Councilor Dave Tumulak, CITOM Traffic operations head Joy Tumulak and Citom chief Rafael Yap to be on call 24/7.

The mayor reiterated that he did not want SRP to be a ‘killing road.’He said that he wants the presence of the Land Transportation Office in the area since it is a national highway and the officers assigned there should be conscientious enough in implementing traffic rules and arresting traffic violators.

Rama added that he already gave a directive to the Department of Public Works and Highways regarding this matter especially in repairing damaged parts of the SRP. If accidents still persist in the area, the mayor said that he will not hesitate to exercise police power in SRP including the roads along M. Velez and S. Osmeña to provide safety and security.

On the issue of Makati City Mayor Erwin “Junjun” Binay’s suspension, the mayor said that he has been keeping track of what is going on and has seen the pattern. He wished that it will not be done unto him considering the administrative charges of grave misconduct and abuse of authority that he is facing together with the vice mayor and several city councilors filed before the Office of the President then referred at the DILG regional office for hearing.

He also made it clear that he is not for the ouster of President Benigo Aquino III because he believes that we need to support the economic gain. He referred the call for PNoy’s resignation a very cowardly machination and undemocratic. The city mayor then urged everyone to move forward instead of going after heads and doing immobility just to assure their seats in 2016.

The mayor is in Sendai, Japan for the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction. He shared that he learned a lot from the conference regarding safety and security like the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA). In the afternoon, he presented about the private involvement and its significance in disasters. The conference runs from March 14 to 18, 2015. (CC-PIO)