“I WILL wait for the order of Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez. But for now, I’m still the head of Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO).”
This was stressed yesterday, August 31, by Major Junji Liba after Councilor Al Victor Espino earlier announced that there will be a revamp at the BTAO soon.
Liba said Benitez designated him as the new head of BTAO in July this year, so he will wait for the order [from the mayor] if he will be relieved.
“That’s the opinion of Espino and I respect him. If he wants a new BTAO head, let’s wait for the decision of the mayor. For now, I didn’t receive any calls from the mayor,” he said.
If he will be relieved, Liba added, he is used to it because it’s part of their job in the Philippine National Police to be reassigned to other units.
Espino, chairperson of the city council committee on traffic, earlier said he made a proposal to Benitez to designate a new head at BTAO to address the traffic problem in the city.
He said the head should be a civilian and not a uniformed officer.
Following his pronouncement, Espino said he received a threat “not to touch” Liba at BTAO.
“Someone called me not to remove Liba at the BTAO or else something will happen to me, but it can’t affect my work. I will do what is good for the city, we should solve the traffic congestion in Bacolod,” Espino said.
BTAO was created through City Ordinance 230 Series of 1999, which for Espino should be headed by a civilian in nature which means that “non-uniformed personnel should be assigned there.”
Liba, for his part, said he has knowledge about who is threatening Espino.
“I have no idea about the alleged threat and I don’t have a problem with him (Espino). I’m just doing my job as BTAO head to address the traffic congestion in various areas in the city,” he stressed.*