THE Mandaue City Government has raised the penalties for violators of its road-clearing operations.

The City Council passed an ordinance on Jan. 13, 2020 setting the fines at P500 for the first offense; P1,000 for the second offense; and P1,500 and confiscation of goods for the third offense.

After the ordinance was amended, the penalty is now P3,000 for the first offense, said Edwin Jumao-as, head of the Mandaue City Legal Enforcement Unit (MCLEU).

“For the second offense, violators will pay a fine of P5,000 with a 15-day imprisonment. The third offense will be revocation of business permits for stores that encroach on roads and caught by the Mandaue Road Clearing Task Force,” Jumao-as said in a mix of Cebuano and English.

He said the revocation of permits will be endorsed to the Business Permit Licensing Office, adding that goods and vehicles will be confiscated automatically after the first offense.

According to the amended ordinance: “All perishable items not claimed within one hour after their confiscation shall be deemed forfeited and confiscated in favor of the City Government of Mandaue. Perishable items shall be deposited and kept at the Office of the Market Administrator.”

Non-perishable items not claimed within 72 hours will be kept by the MCLEU.

Jumao-as said they also posted tarpaulins to warn the public against obstructing roads and sidewalks to avoid apprehension and penalties.

The City’s road-clearing operations are in line with the directives of the Department of the Interior and Local Government and President Rodrigo Duterte to free all public roads of obstructions. (KFD)