Dad opposes hiking jaywalking fine

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Council decided to lay on the table the proposed ordinance of Councilor Richard “Ritchie” Osmeña that seeks to increase the penalty for apprehended jaywalkers in the city.

Councilor Edgardo Labella, who heads the Committee on Laws and Ordinances of the Cebu City Council, said he will oppose the move to increase the fines of the violators of the ordinance because he considers it as “anti-poor.”

Osmeña earlier proposed a fine of up to P5,000 against violators who will be apprehended for jaywalking, but because of resistance by other city legislators he decided to lower the penalty to a minimum of P200 up to a maximum of P1,000.

But Labella still continued to oppose the said measure.

“Just the same I would still object for the same reason that it’s too much. Looy ang mga pobre nga maoy kadaghanan nga maglakaw ug ang taga-probinsya nga wala kahibalo. I learned this during the public hearing,” he said.

“We have to be sensitive to the opinions of the public. For me P100 is enough so I will continue to object,” he added.

When asked why the City Council approved the increase of parking fees from P15 to P20 for every hour of parking in the city’s designated parking areas, Labella said “Arang-arang ang parking fee kay dili man g’yud pobre kaayo ang maigo dili pareho sa jaywalking.”

Even City Traffic Operations Management executive officer Rafael Christopher Yap is against the increase of fines for jaywalking because most of those who will be apprehended are students and less-paid people.

According to Yap the penalty for the violators must be commensurate to their violation because our minimum wage now is only P305 a day.

Mayor Michael Rama, who is out of the country, is also against the increase of fines against the violators of the anti-jaywalking ordinance.

Councilor Osmeña believes that increasing the fine for the violators of the anti-jaywalking ordinance will discourage the public from crossing the streets even when the green light is still on for the vehicles or crossing in areas not designated as pedestrian lanes. (FREEMAN)