ZAMBOANGA MAYOR Beng Climaco ordered barangay officials not only to help the local government in clearing public roads and spaces of all obstruction, but to maintain the campaign in an effort to preserve all the hard work of all those involved in President Rodrigo Duterte’s directives.
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| Members of the Task Force Clearing Operations chaired by the City Engineer's Office with the Office of the City Administrator, City Legal Office, City Police and other agencies continue the campaign upon the order of Mayor Beng Climaco. (CEO) |
“Our road clearing campaign is a continuing process. Let us continue the tasks of ensuring road safety as well as the safety of the motorists and people as well. Hace todo manera que debe hace, tene Disiplina todo,” Climaco said.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) ordered the resumption of the road-clearing operation (RCO) in the country and gave local governments (LGUs) 60 days to comply with the Presidential directive to clear all roads of blockades or obstruction to ease the flow of traffic and movement of people.
The campaign ended on February 15 and the DILG validation of program has begun on February 16 and shall run until March 2, according to DILG Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Bernardo Florece, Jr. He said that the DILG will be fair in the road-clearing validation, but will point out the deficiencies so that this can be acted upon soonest by the LGUs.
“One of the strategies that we will adopt is that once a road is cleared by the LGU, a contract is drawn up and signed by the Barangay Captain who then is now responsible for maintaining the cleared roads. There will also be an exit conference with the mayor so that he is advised of the results of the validation,” Florece said.
He also said that no-parking signs and visual cues must be placed in cleared roads so that the residents do not go back to their old ways. Florece acknowledges that with the expected arrival of the Covid-19 vaccines, LGUs may have their hands full but he nonetheless challenged them to comply with Duterte’s directive.
“Nais po nating makita ang tagumpay ng road clearing operations sa buong bansa ngunit ayaw rin nating maantala ang rollout ng vaccine kaya’t dapat galingan ng ating mga mayor,” he said.
DILG Undersecretary and Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya also echoed Climaco’s order and he urged LGUs to include the promotion of road discipline and education in line with the conduct of their road clearing operations. “Hindi po dapat nagtatapos ang ating trabaho sa road clearing operations. Sa panahong ang mga kalsada sa buong bansa ay naibalik na sa publiko, responsibilidad din po nating panatiliin itong ligtas,” he said.
“Disiplina sa kalsada ang ambag ng bawat isa para sa maayos na daloy ng trapiko. Ang maayos na transportasyon ay may malaking epekto sa ekonomiya ng bawat LGU at ng buong bansa,” he added.
Malaya stressed the road clearing and safety operation is a year-round activity that requires sustained effort and implementation.
Citing the Local Government Code, Malaya said the mayors are the disciplining authority of barangay chairmen. “Impose your authority. Huwag ninyo nang i-asa pa ang pagbabantay sa mga barangay sa ating national government,” he said, citing Section 32 (of the Local Government Code) which states that “the city or municipality, through the city or municipal mayor concerned, shall exercise general supervision over component barangays to ensure that said barangays act within the scope of their prescribed powers and functions.”
In cases of resistance from barangay officials, Malaya said the mayors must exercise their political will and discipline these uncooperative community leaders. “Tapos na ang eleksyon. Trabaho na ngayon. Regardless of whether kapartido o hindi, they (mayors) should suspend or reprimand barangay captains who do not comply with the President’s directive,” he said, adding, road obstructions will not happen without the knowledge of the barangay chairmen.
Winner
In July 2019, the DILG - upon the order of President Rodrigo Duterte - issued Memorandum Circular 2019-121 which gave mayors 60 days “to exercise their powers essential to reclaim public roads which are being used for private ends, and in the process rid them of illegal structures and constructions.”
Following Duterte’s directive, Climaco – together with barangay officials – led a massive operation called “Oplan Baklas” against road obstructions even though the local government had been implementing this long before the DILG order.
Zamboanga was also cited last year by the DILG for its vigorous road-clearing campaign, including the strict enforcement of the anti-littering, anti-garbage and anti-traffic laws and city ordinances. The DILG commended Climaco and the local government for its efforts in implementing Duterte’s order to clear public roads of all obstruction.
Paizal Abutazil, the DILG regional director for Western Mindanao, said Zamboanga City obtained 90 points – the highest points beyond the passing mark set by the national government, and praising the local government efforts and Climaco.
Abutazil led the validating team of the national government in Zamboanga and the following criteria were the basis of the rating: Ordinance, wherein the City scored 14 out of 15 points; Inventory- the City got a perfect score of 5; Road Clearing – the local government got 45 out of 50 points; Displacement Program earned for Zamboanga 8 out of 10 points; Rehabilitation Efforts gave the City Government 13 out of 15 points; and Grievance Mechanism with a perfect score of 5 for a total points of 90. (Zamboanga Post)
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