Tomas’ petition for Angkas ‘misleading’

CEBU, Philippines — Opposition-allied Cebu City Councilors criticized Mayor Tomas Osmeña who planned to file a petition on behalf of the riding public before the Supreme Court over its ruling against Angkas operation.

At a press conference, Councilors Pastor Alcover, Jr., Joel Garganera, and Raymond Alvin Garcia said Osmeña should instead ask his congressmen to act on the legalization of the operation of habalhabal in the country.

Garganera said the mayor’s plan to file an appeal before the Supreme Court will not address the plight of the habalhabal drivers because the law is very clear that its operation is illegal.

“Then as of now, there is no law that recognizes the operation of a two-wheeled bike for public transportation. So siya na congressman naman siya sa una, wa diay siya maghuna-huna niana. He’s been a congressman and he has two congressmen in the city nga wala diay. In other words, kaning iyang pag-file and everything, OA ra kaayo,” he said.

Garganera added said the operations of habalhabal in the country will remain illegal until the lawmakers will amend the law.

Garcia, for his part, said Osmeña’s allies also did not do anything to address the concern of the habalhabal drivers.

Alcover said he plans to re-file his proposed ordinance aiming to regulate the operations of habalhabal for the benefit of the riding public.

His proposed measure was rejected June this year and he plans to resubmit it next year.

In the measure, Alcover said the city government will only be involved in the regulation and the issuance of certificate of registration/permit to operate habalhabal without interference to the registration of these vehicles under the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

Once approved, the drivers and operators of habalhabal will be paying from P250 to P500 as annual registration fees.

Alcover said he is hoping the mayor should stop “misleading” the public that he is fighting for the riding public when the latter wants to fight for Angkas, which is a private business.

Osmeña, when sought for comment, said he is not fighting for Angkas but for the riding public.

“I’m fighting for the riding public. So don’t misquote me. I haven’t read Alcover’s proposed ordinance. I’m not rubber stamp,” he said in a text message to The Freeman.

Osmeña also posted in his official Facebook page on his plan to ask the City Council to pass a resolution authorizing him to appeal to the Supreme Court on behalf of the riding public.

“Government is supposed to make the people’s lives better, not worse. Angkas was a cleaner, safer version of what is the only practical mode of transportation for many Cebuanos, especially those who live in remote barangays,” the post reads.

The mayor said there are areas in the city that are not traversed by buses or jeepneys, especially in the mountains.

Meanwhile, Cebu Archbishop Jose S. Palma finds the Supreme Court’s issuance of temporary restraining order (TRO) on Angkas “a matter of security and practicality.”

He added the authorities should approach their decision “with a more human heart.”

Aside from the importance of security, he also realizes the practicality of Angkas, and the convenience it can bring to the commuters and traffic.

“On a personal thought, while we are aware of the importance of security, I also realize the practicality of Angkas. To me, yes, let’s be serious about security, but let’s also be kind and practical about the people who may not have any other way of transportation,” Palma said.

The archbishop, who hails from Iloilo, said that in their barangay, the main mode of transportation is motorcycle since there are very few jeepneys in his place.

“I live in a barangay, and I know that over there, there are not so many jeepneys. Many people rely on motorcycles and Angkas,” Palma said.

The archbishop also called out the people on authority to find the balance between practicality and security as their duty.

Meanwhile, Palma also posed a challenge to young people to reach out to their fellows in the hope to save them from being an instrument to proliferate illegal drugs.

“Diha nato mapalandungan ang challenge nato sa young people nga how can they reach out to their fellow youth? How they can influence other young people so that they would realize the evil,” Palma said.

Palma also emphasized that the problem of illegal drugs is connected to the problem in the family. — John Kendrick P. Ceciban, USJ-R Intern, MBG (FREEMAN)