CITOM opposes proposal to scrap jaywalking fines

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (CITOM) is strongly opposing the recommendation to scrap the fines that will be imposed against the violators of the city’s Anti-Jaywalking Ordinance.

CITOM legal officer Rico Abellanosa said the recommendation of one Marissa Gonzales to scrap the fines against the violators of said ordinance should not be given any weight or credence at all.

Abellanosa even criticized Gonzales for her “baseless accusations” when she said that the imposition of fines against the violators of the Anti-Jaywalking Ordinance is just being made as “milking cow” of some unscrupulous CITOM personnel.

“The letter is more of an accusation and baseless, unsubstantiated allegations of wrong doings against the traffic enforcers assigned to enforce the jaywalking ordinance, which are grossly unfair to them and blatantly irresponsible on the part of the accuser,” the legal counsel said.

The Anti-Jaywalking Ordinance has been amended several years ago increasing the P20 fines for every violation to P50, and provided alternative penalty for violators who cannot afford to pay the fines.

Gonzales said she pitied the students who were apprehended by the members of the Anti-Jaywalking Team because some of them could not even afford to pay the fine, while others were able to pay for it out of the money intended for their snacks.

She claimed that the students’ money is only enough for their snacks and in case the student will be apprehended, they will just beg to pay only P20 or P30 to the apprehending officers that will only be pocketed by the unscrupulous enforcers.

But Abellanosa argued that the Anti-Jaywalking Ordinance provides that those who cannot afford to pay the fines shall only be allowed to render community service for a period of four hours.

“The inability of a student to pay the fine is not an issue,” said Abellanosa, in his comment to the letter of Gonzales.

Abellanosa’s comments and recommendations were also noted by CITOM executive officer Rafael Christopher Yap.

Yap also said that there had been some proposals to increase the fines of the jaywalking violations, but he did not support it as there was no need to increase the fine just to instill discipline on the pedestrians.

“It is not how much the amount of fine or the elimination of the fine for the violations, but rather the instilling of discipline in the streets and respect for the authorities by the youth,” said Yap.

— (FREEMAN)