A CEBU City traffic enforcer was dismissed due to poor performance and not for failing to meet an alleged “quota” for apprehensions, the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) clarified on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025.
CCT0 head Raquel Arce issue the clarification after reports surfaced online that the ex-enforcer burned his CCTO uniform to protest his removal from service for allegedly failing to reach the required number of apprehensions. Arce denied the office imposes a quota system for its enforcers.
However, it observes a performance target evaluation as part of the enforcers’ individual performance commitment and review (IPCR), said Arce.
“There is no quota being required from the enforcers. What they are referring to as a ‘quota’ did not come from the CCTO. What we are basing it on is the performance target evaluation in their IPCR,” added Arce.
She explained that issuing citation tickets is part of every enforcer’s core duty and therefore included in their performance target. However, that is not the sole basis for evaluation.
Arce said management and control of their assigned areas are also factored into the enforcers’ evaluation.
Evaluation metrics
Arce said enforcers are evaluated every six months under a rating system based on their total output.
She added that during peak hours from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., enforcers are required to be on the road to manage traffic flow; while from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., they are expected to monitor for traffic violations.
Aside from those managing intersections, the CCTO also deploys motorized teams who patrol the city’s major roads, check for obstructions, and issue citation tickets when necessary.
Arce revealed that while most personnel were able to issue around 100 citation tickets within three months, the dismissed enforcer only managed to issue 12 tickets, even though he had been reporting for almost two and a half months.
Arce said the enforcer’s low number of tickets was not the only reason for his non-renewal, but it reflected his poor work ethics and lack of initiative in managing his assigned area.
She further explained that the decision to not renew the enforcer’s contract did not originate from the CCTO but from City Hall records.
Initially, 70 personnel were listed for non-renewal, but she appealed to the mayor to reconsider at least 35 of them based on their performance.
Arce also clarified that the uniform burned by the dismissed enforcer was not this year’s official CCTO uniform but one issued last year.
The CCTO chief reiterated that the agency’s evaluation system is grounded on fairness and measurable performance indicators, not arbitrary quotas. / CAV