VM Young urges Rama to resign

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young has urged Mayor Michael Rama to resign if he cannot correct the alleged inefficiency of the City Traffic Operations and Management rather than directing the traffic on the road himself.

Young said it is a waste of government time for Rama to be out on the road directing the traffic instead of leaving it to CITOM personnel and attend to more important matters in his office.

According to Young, what did Rama do last week was a sign of “mismanagement”.

Young explained that while Rama was busy manning the traffic at the Capitol area last week, several transactions waiting for his signature were delayed.

Instead of doing the traffic himself, Young said Rama should have called the attention of CITOM head Rafael Christopher Yap.

“Dili man kana maayo tan-awon nga siya nga usa ka mayor maoy mag-traffic-traffic kay makauuwaw kaayo tan-awon sa mga tawo kay makita man nga dili siya makamao (It was not good to look at the mayor directing the traffic because aside from it was very shameful, it was also obvious that he does not know how to man the traffic),” Young said.

But instead of heeding his vice mayor’s advice, Rama said he will go back to M. Velez Street this morning to help traffic enforcers direct the traffic.

An ongoing road widening project along M. Velez Street has been blamed for the congested traffic situation in the area during peak hours.

Department of Public Works and Highways district Engineer Nicomedes Leonor said the widening has been delayed because some of the affected families refused to vacate, including those who already received the financial assistance from the government.  (FREEMAN)