CITY Councilor and lawyer Edgar Cabanlas said the City Government should not over-regulate its people as he moved to defer an ordinance that would allow enforcers to issue ordinance violation receipts (OVR) against would-be violators.
Cabanlas said the city should only practice regulation when necessary. He said what should be encouraged is self-regulation.
Regulation bodies of the city government, such as the Regulatory and Complaint Board (RCB), had long been asking for the ordinance violation receipt to strengthen their enforcement by penalizing violators in the city level, instead of going through the process of filing a criminal case.
But Cabanlas said the ordinance still needs refinement, pointing out the problem of a possible overlapping of jurisdiction.
"If this will be passed, can a tanod in barangay Bugo arrest someone in barangay Tuburan?" he said.
"Another issue, if an illegal miner is caught in barangay Tuburan, that is now a violation of Mining Act with a penalty of 20 years, but if this will be passed, can a barangay captain now issue a citation to the suspect and penalize him with only P1,500?" he added.
Cabanlas said this could diminish the severity of the crime committed.
"It should be studied further because it is encompassing and limitless. Dangerous, murag sobra ra nga power," he said.
"Over-regulation kills, people should not be over-regulated, that everything you do somebody will follow you. Practice regulation only when necessary, what is recommended is self-regulation. Let us not watch our people every time," he said.
RCB inspectorate team leader Antonio Resma Jr. meanwhile acknowledged Cabanlas' concern, and agrees that only minor crimes should be issued an OVR.
He said violators of big crimes, such as illegal mining, should answer to national laws.
"Our purpose is really an effective implementation of ordinances. Ang atong goal is ang nakasala, mobayad na lang sa fines, no more criminal cases," he added.
The ordinance is deferred during the City Council session on Tuesday for further study.