MAYOR Evelio Leonardia said Monday the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) and Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO) should impound colorum (unregistered) tricycles because their operations are illegal.
Leonardia issued the clarification after Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) president Noli Villarosa had earlier accused BTAO head Superintendent Luisito Acebuche of targeting colorums selectively, or those in barangays whose leaders are not allied with the mayor.
The intensified campaign against unregistered tricycles came after a call center agent reported to the police that she was robbed and sexually abused by a tricycle driver and his companion at Barangay Alijis.
The suspects used a colorum tricycle.
“BCPO and BTAO should impound the colorum tricycles and there is no politics here because it is their job to address the crime incidents,” Leonardia said.
He said it is the discretion of BCPO and BTAO to impound the unregistered tricycles.
“There’s no need to wait for my instruction to arrest them because they are using colorums and we have an ordinance (against it),” he added.
Villarosa had earlier said that Acebuche is only using the name of the mayor when they will impound the illegal tricycles in his barangay.
“He is destroying the name of the mayor because the city mayor doesn't know their operation. They should inform the mayor first before they operate,” Villarosa said.
Acebuche had earlier denied that the BTAO is being selective in their operations since they already impounded more than 150 colorum tricycles in various areas.