Looc locals petition vs freight company

CEBU, Philippines - The Mandaue City Council Committee on Planning, Development and Socialized Housing will be taking a look at the freight company operating along J. M. Ceniza Street, Barangay Looc after receiving complaints from residents.

Vice Mayor Carlo Pontico Fortuna, the council presiding officer, said the city will look into the appeal of more than 280 petitioners who opposed the renewal of the permit of Philippine Multimodal Freight Services Inc. (PMFSI), citing the bumpy road in their locality that was attributed to the firm's operations.

"We, the commuters, LTO clients, stakeholders and concerned residents of J.M. Ceniza Street, Looc, Mandaue City had suffered much inconveniences due to the operations of PMFSI- Looc Container Yard which is a public hazard," reads the complaint letter initiated by a certain Dr. Danilo Dionson.

Dionson is asking the Office of the Looc Barangay Captain, Office of the Mayor and Vice Mayor of Mandaue City not to renew the permit of the company.

He bases his opposition on the heavy traffic caused by the firm's 20- to 40- footer vans traversing a narrow street 20 to 30 times, damaging the cemented roads.

Dionson said he already sent a letter addressed to Looc Barangay Captain Ceasar Cabahug on January 15, 2015 expressing his opposition to the granting of a business permit and barangay clearance for the company.

Cabahug's office transmitted the complaint to the office of then mayor Jonas Cortes on January 21, 2015 and the same complaint was forwarded to the council presiding officer, then Vice Mayor Glenn Bercede, on February 10, 2015.

However, Dionson said no action was taken so far.

"We beg that our opposition be given immediate attention and priority as a case of public interest," Dionson said in his letter.

Dionson said that since the company rented a portion of a private lot in the area and turned it into a shipyard, there have been accidents there involving the company's container vans.

Dionson further argued that PMFSI should be moved to another location since the area is currently classified as a residential zone. (FREEMAN)