Valenzuela traffic unit relieved

All 10 members of the Valenzuela City Traffic Enforcement Group (VTEG), including the chief, were relieved last Monday on request of City Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian, who said the city’s own "Red Boys" can more than deliver.

Superintendent Enecito Ubales, chief of the North-Traffic Enforcement Group (NTEG), in a directive dated Aug. 28, 2006, ordered the relief of Inspector Ronald Perilla, VTEG chief, SPO4s Ernesto Angeles and Rosalinda Dagandaman, SPO2 Pedro Garcia Jr.,SPO1s Benjamin Bautista, Wilfredo de Castro, Emiliano Mendoza, Frederick Dimacali, Noel Palomata, and Amelito Sanchez.

However, after a diligent review of their performance, Perilla, Dagandaman, Palomata, Sanchez and Bautista were restored to the same unit, but in a new capacity as traffic investigators.

In a letter to both Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando and Northern Police District (NPD) director Chief Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil dated Aug. 15, Gatchalian sought the withdrawal of the VTEG led by Perilla.

"The traffic management in the city shall now be the sole responsibility of the Traffic Management Office (TMO). There will be no need for your offices to replace the (withdrawn or relieved) personnel since the city has 170 well-trained traffic enforcers," Gatchalian said.

Valenzuela’s traffic enforcers work the city streets in their loud and conspicuous red shirts.

On Aug. 24, Bataoil responded to Gatchalian’s letter informing him the NPD had no operational control over the NTEG.

"I have directed (Ubales) to coordinate with your office and make personal representations with the chairman of the MMDA and give due course to your request," the NPD chief said.

Bataoil said that while he favors the replacement of the TEG personnel in Valenzuela with its red shirts, the order and its implementation is beyond his authority.

While unable to grant the request fully, he acknowledged and recognized the value of Gatchalian’s request "since it will lighten the workload of our policemen and be able to re-focus personnel resources more to anti-crime efforts."

Bataoil promised to help facilitate the immediate and favorable approval of the same request. — Jerry Botial