Thursday, January 25, 2007 ‘Release impounded vehicles’
MANDAUE City drivers and operators yesterday rallied outside the Cebu City Council members’ offices for the City Government’s “failure” to release impounded vehicles despite a court order.
They held a short program, with leaders taking turns speaking in front of the City Savings Building along Osmeña Blvd. while the City council was holding its regular session on the third floor.
After delivering a short privilege speech, Vice Mayor Michael Rama had the City Attorney’s Office send in a lawyer to brief them on the case.
Lawyer Geron Castillo arrived minutes later and explained that the City had filed a petition before the Court of Appeals, after the Regional Trial Court (RTC) granted the operators and drivers a preliminary mandatory injunction.
The case stemmed from City Hall’s implementation of Ordinance 1837, which prevents Mandaue public utility jeepneys (PUJs) from reaching the downtown area.
They are to unload passengers up to the SM City and Ayala mall terminals.
But the drivers and operators argued that the franchises specified Jones Ave., which is now part of Osmeña Blvd., as their units’ point of destination.
That resulted in the impounding of more than 80 PUJs.
In an interview yesterday, Nagkahiusang Drayber sa Sugbo (Nadsu) chairman Anthony Pogado said they tried to exhaust all possible means, including sending a letter to the council, to release the vehicles.
He said that despite the court’s Sept. 29, 2006 order, the City Government did not release nine impounded units, which was the subject of the case.
He said that of the 80 units, around half were redeemed by the operators, who opted to just pay their pending fines and the penalties just so they could have their livelihood back.
One operator, who requested anonymity, said three of her units got impounded that she told her daughter that she could not take summer classes.
She said her husband, who is a mechanic, is trying to make ends meet for them.
Officials of the Mandaue Transport Operators Association (Mantoa) will file contempt charges against Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña and the City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) for defying the court order to return their impounded jeepneys.
Roy Opura of Mantoa said that Osmeña and Citom have committed injustice against them when they have the franchise to ply the Mandaue-Jones Ave. route issued by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.
Yesterday, Vice Mayor Rama asked City Councilor Jose Daluz III look into the state of the City’s impounding area, saying that vehicles there are deteriorating.
He said that while they could not something yet about the case because it is still pending before the court, they have the administrative duty to take care of the impounded vehicles.
He also asked Councilor Sylvan Jakosalem, chairman of the council committee on transportation, to meet the drivers and inform them of the actions the council made. (RHM/With EOB)
