ARROGANCE on the road will not be tolerated in Baguio City.
Councilor Michael Lawana, Liga ng mga Barangay—Baguio City Chapter president, said the “Anti-Name Dropping in Traffic Apprehension Ordinance,” has passed its first reading.
The city lawmaker said there is a need to end and eliminate this practice in the city and in order to protect the welfare of traffics enforcers who are faithfully discharging and performing their functions.
Lawana said the traffic enforcers often encounter situations in apprehensions wherein apprehended erring drivers’ resort to name-dropping of very important people (VIPs), high ranking government officials and institutions purportedly for the latter to get them off the hook.
The ordinance defines name dropping as the practice of naming or alluding to very important people (VIP’s), high ranking government officials and institutions within a conversation with the traffic enforcer during traffic apprehension with the intention of escaping or avoiding penalty from traffic violation or fine.
“Name-dropping also involves or results to attempts of bribery, threats and blackmail like loss of job, transfer or being relieved from post or duty and institution, filing of criminal, civil and administrative charges to the damage and injury of traffic enforcers,” Lawana said.
Under the Lawana law, any person found to be in violation of any provision of the ordinance will be subject to a penalty of P2,000 and in addition to the penalty imposed, the fact that driver has already been penalized is not a bar to his or her conviction under the general penal laws.