CEBU, Philippines - The City Traffic Operations Management has deputized at least 105 City Hall employees and barangay tanods to assist them in enforcing the law.
The deputized agents, most of them tanods, are authorized to enforce City Ordinance 801 or the Traffic Code of Cebu City until December.
CITOM executive assistant Jonathan Tumulak said they have endorsed the list of agents to Cebu City Police Office director Noli Romana and likewise informed City Hall about it in a letter recently sent to the city council.
Tumulak said that deputizing the personnel is a big help to both CITOM and CCPO.
“Kung mag-checkpoint ang pulis unya manginahanglan sila og traffic enforcer, no need na nga magpatawag sa CITOM kay pwede na ang mga tanod sa barangay nga amo na’ng gi-deputize,†Tumulak explained.
In cases of vehicular accidents, the deputized agents can automatically take over the situation or arrest the traffic violators if necessary, he further said.
“Imbes maghuwat or manginahanglan pa og traffic enforcer, pwede na ang mga deputized agents ang mo-come in,†he said.
Prior to being deputized, all the personnel underwent a three-day lecture and one-day actual training by CITOM.
Among those CITOM deputized was Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office executive director Simeon Romarate and three other personnel and seven personnel of Task Force Motorsiklo.
CITOM also deputized tanods of Barangays Guadalupe which has the most number of agents, Punta Princesa, Talamban, Bulacao, Apas, Poblacion Pardo, Quiot, San Roque, Tinago, Buhisan, Tisa, Basak San Nicolas and Busay. One tanod each from Barangays Sambag Uno, Agsungot and Capitol Site also now represents CITOM.
Tumulak said they have intensified this year the deputization of barangay tanods, now making coordination with the Association of Barangay Captains.
CITOM official encouraged ABC to endorse more tanods to them from the rest of the city’s 80 barangays. —/BRP (FREEMAN)