Thursday, March 27, 2008 Arroyo told to sack DOTC regional chief By Jane Cadalig
THE controversy hounding the ban imposed on vans along Kennon Road has reached the country's highest office.
This, as Presidential Assistant for the Cordillera Thomas Killip and Public Transport Affairs Office Secretary Ariel Lim recommended to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to place Transportation Regional Director Federico Mandapat Jr. on a "floating status" or transferred to another area.
Killip said he and Lim made the recommendation to the President after the dialogue held among the transport groups and government officials in Baguio City Monday last week.
But he clarified they are not moving for Mandapat's ouster.
"We just want him to go on a 'floating status' or be transferred to other areas while the controversy at Kennon Road is not yet settled," he said.
Mandapat welcomed the move, saying he would face any inquiry regarding his decision to ban vans for hire coming from the lowlands to traverse Kennon Road, and rerouted these to Palispis-Aspiras Highway (formerly Marcos Highway).
"I am willing to face any inquiry, I have the documents to support me in my decision of not allowing vans to traverse Kennon," Mandapat said.
He reiterated his motive in banning vans for hire along Kennon is to protect motorists from the dangers of the road, which was declared by the Mines and Geo-sciences Bureau (MGB) to be highly susceptible to landslides.
He claimed that Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza supports him. Mendoza allegedly advised Mandapat to stand by his decision since it is for the welfare of the riding public.
The MGB reported 85 percent of the stretch from Camp 4, Tuba to Baguio is landslide prone.
"When I re-routed the vans to Marcos Highway, I was just implementing the administrative order of the President, which gave authority to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) to ensure road safety," Mandapat said.
"I cannot risk the lives of thousands of passengers traveling along Kennon. They may be coming from areas outside my jurisdiction, but they are still passengers whom we are mandated to protect," he said.
There are around 800 vans for hire with an average load capacity of 15 plying the road daily, according to Mandapat.
Van operators and drivers have been asking Mandapat to reconsider his circular, which took effect September last year, but Mendoza stood firm in his stand.
"They should be willing to sacrifice for the safety of their passengers," Mandapat said.
Drivers and operators complain of the longer travel time to Baguio when they were re-routed to Palispis-Aspiras Highway aside from the additional expenses they incur.
