Brgy councilwoman asks: Politics in helmet law implementation?

BAYBAY CITY , Philippines  â€“ Councilwoman Michel Digman Esperanza of Barangay Sabang in this city was apprehended last week and was issued a violation ticket by local traffic enforcers for not wearing a helmet as mandated by law. As a result, Esperanza’s motorcycle was impounded and its key confiscated.

With a scheduled Barangay Council session that day, however, the councilwoman said she decided to attend it while she was trying to raise the P2,100 cash needed to pay for the penalty and recover her vehicle.

Esperanza said that, after the barangay session, she mentioned her plight to Barangay Chairwoman Leonor Razaga, who in turn told her (in the local dialect): “We’ll go to the City Hall together so that you can get back your motorcycle,” but allegedly with this reminder: “Don’t wear a Malot T-shirt.”

Malot is the nickname of Marilou Veloso Galenzoga, the opposition candidate for city mayor against reelectionist Mayor Carmen Cari.

Upon arrival and inside the mayor’s office started the story of Esperanza’s accusations against the mayor. She told The Freeman that Cari approached her and allegedly blurted out with a snide remark at her: “Why do you go for Malot when Malot will abandon you when she will be defeated (in the elections)?”

Shortly after, the case of the impounded vehicle was virtually settled, but not without Esperanza’s additional accusation against the mayor. The barangay official said Cari allegedly asked from her the violation receipt, signed it and wrote a note for the enforcers: “Return the motor.”

These allegations have yet to be verified with the mayor but Esperanza posed these questions to The Freeman: “Can the mayor just sign the receipt without requiring me to pay the fine at all? Can this helmet law be used for political purposes? Are there other laws here being twisted for vested interests?

Another complaint that the barangay official raised was about the photo, posted on Facebook, showing her sitting beside the mayor with the caption “Another surrenderee!!!” denoting that she was yielding her support for Malot in favor of Cari.

Saying that she felt embarrassed about it, Esperanza denied this as true and countered by putting up a large tarp of Malot and her slate in the barangay official’s house itself.

Esperanza claimed that, at the time, she was only given a Cari T-shirt, made her wear it and let her sit with the mayor, as a camera snapped at them. She said she did not know it would be posted on the social networking site later on, but the mayor has yet to comment on the veracity of these allegations.  (FREEMAN)