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Sunday, February 23, 2003
Glo sets deadlines to reward transport group
By Joshua Dancel
THE President Saturday set deadlines and guidelines for officials in charge of running Metro Manila's traffic and enforcement agencies.
Many of the announcements she made during her weekly radio address were apparently meant to reward the public transport sectors for giving way to her requests that no fare hike should be filed while the crisis is ongoing.
She met with the transport leaders Friday afternoon on discuss these matters.
For starters, the President ordered the extended controversial experiment of number or color-coding of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
"I have ordered MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando to stop the experiment on the number or color coding scheme for the public transport," the President said.
Fernando extended the experiment for two weeks under pain of criticisms from the transport leaders.
The President also gave Transport Secretary Leandro Mendoza "only one month" to clear Metro Manila's streets of colorum vehicles, out of line operators, and illegal terminals.
"I have formed a Task Force against colorum, out of line vehicles, and illegal terminals. And I'm giving the Task Force and Sec. Mendoza only one month to do
all these," she said.
The President's order on the anti-colorum drive includes buses, jeepneys, FX taxi, and illegal vans.
The President is apparently referring to at least 50,000 colorum vehicles operating in Metro Manila and outside the metropolis, according to DOTC records.
The President also wanted illegal terminals in street corners removed to ease up traffic flow. Corrupt traffic enforcers and policemen protect all of these terminals.
The President said she is expecting initial reports from Mendoza on her desk in two weeks.
She also ordered the Philippine National Police (PNP) to crack down on so-called "kotong cops" or road mulcters, this time, however, the President was very emphatic on the punishment.
She said she would not want those arrested road extortionists "to be just relieved or transferred." "I want to have them immediately charged, jailed, kicked out of the service or transferred to some remote areas or hard assignments. This time no mercy," the president said.
This same scheme was implemented under the Estrada Administration where some corrupt policemen and those perceived to be against the former President then, were transferred to assignments in the Sulu islands.
"I am expecting a report from the PNP leadership on this directive in one week," she said. (Joshua Dancel)
(February 23, 2003 issue)
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