CAGAYAN de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno has advised officials of the Roads and Traffic Administration (RTA) to hold seminars for traffic enforcers to teach them how to deal with pressure and conflict while doing their jobs.
The mayor's comment came after two traffic enforcers were involved in fights with motorists.
The first one, a soldier fired his assault rifle at a traffic enforcer. A video of another enforcer in a fight with a motorist has also gone viral in social media with the video showing a traffic enforcer challenging a taxi driver to a fistfight.
Moreno, however, was quick to come into the defense of the RTA, pointing out that pressure is usually high especially when the public expects these traffic enforcers to fix traffic flow.
"But dili man sila ang ga-buot sa traffic flow, igo raman sila ga-respond, mao ng naay bikil," he said.
"Naa ko nakita nga video nga nang-hanggat ang RTA ug sumbagay sa driver sa taxi, gikuhaan man ug video sa pasahero, so siguro ang RTA sad nato mo-undergo ug how to deal with pressure, conflict situations, this is one area that perhaps we could improve," Moreno said.
Moreno reminded traffic enforcers that "at the end of the day, this is all for public service, thus, there has to be high degree of service orientation," he added.
Moreno also challenged traffic enforcers to always smile despite the heat and the dust they encounter every day.
"You should serve with a smile, that's a challenge, muabot ang panahon nga ang RTA smiling na bahalag traffic kaayo, we have to develop that, nga mag-smile gyud," he addded.
RTA chief lawyer Edgardo Uy meanwhile welcomed the mayor's advise, but clarified that the RTA holds values formation and traffic education session every week for all its personnel.
Uy also urged the public to report all rude traffic enforcers so they can be reprimanded.
"Gisulti naman ni mayor sa amo, kining mga incident reported na naay traffic enforcer na lahi ug batasan sa dalan, malipay kami ug ireport sa amo kana in detail, asa dapita ug unsay nahitabo kay lisod man nga ma-generalize na arogante gyud ang RTA," he said.
"Mas maayo madetalye kay atong education group naay mabuhat ana, gani every Saturday naay values formation, and traffic education session. We ask for your help kay in the end, makatabang ni sa pagserbisyo sa kadalanan," he added.
Last year, a traffic enforcer also earned the ire of City Councilor Zaldy Ocon. Ocon reportedly slapped a traffic enforcer, who the councilor accused as "bastos" (rude).