CCTO defends Jakosalem clearing, denies targeting officials

THE Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) defended its clearing operation along D. Jakosalem Street that led to the temporary clamping of vehicles owned by city councilors, saying the action was a standard response to a formal complaint and not meant to single out any official.

In an official statement, CCTO head Raquel Arce said the Traffic Enforcement and Operations Division (TEOD) carried out the operation on Jan. 13, 2026. The move followed a complaint from the Sinulog 2026 Multi-Agency Coordination Center (MACC) regarding unauthorized vehicles parked in a designated “No Parking Zone.”

Arce said traffic enforcers found several unattended, privately owned vehicles parked along the restricted area. While some vehicles carried Sinulog 2026 “car pass” stickers, no drivers were present to identify ownership, prompting enforcers to initiate standard immobilization procedures.

“The vehicles were unmarked, privately owned, and unattended, leaving our personnel with no opportunity to confirm ownership,” Arce said.

She said clamp boots were attached as part of the process but were neither locked nor accompanied by citation tickets.

The vehicle of Councilor Winston Pepito and another city councilor were among those temporarily clamped along D. Jakosalem Street. The vehicles were unattended and unmarked at the time, prompting enforcers to initiate immobilization procedures. Enforcers removed the clamps after the owners were identified.

Arce said Councilors Alvin Arcilla and Winston Pepito later arrived at the scene and identified the vehicles.

Upon confirmation, CCTO personnel halted the immobilization process and removed the clamp boots. No further enforcement action was taken.

Arce said videos circulating online failed to show the removal of the clamps, contributing to public misunderstanding of the incident.

While councilors are granted parking privileges in certain areas, Arce said enforcement becomes difficult when vehicles are unmarked or lack identifiable authorization.

She said parking privileges apply only to properly identified vehicles and that stickers allowing access do not automatically serve as parking permits.

The CCTO head said the operation was conducted without intent to offend any city official. She said the activity was aimed at enforcing traffic regulations and responding to official complaints.

“We were left with no choice but to respond and enforce the law, which is the primary function of our office,” Arce said.

She said the agency hopes the issue will be resolved amicably. Arce called for public understanding as traffic authorities manage road safety and parking enforcement during the Sinulog season. / CAV