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By Jayson Cruz Luna , Contributor
METRO Manila Development Authority (MMDA)
Chairman Bayani Fernando said they will implement Executive Order
712 within 15 days despite the objection of five Metro Mayors.
That order puts into place a single ticketing
system for traffic violations in Metro Manila.
Fernando said that they are still waiting for
the guidelines on the matter, and have it published in major dailies
for it to be implemented.
The chairman added that EO 712 is a lawful order
that all local governments should follow.
“Any driver can sue them [local traffic law
officers] if they don’t follow the executive order. We’re also
prepared to sue if they don’t obey the order,” Fernando said.
The local chief executives who refuse to
implement the new ticketing scheme are Mayor Jejomar Binay of Makati
City, Mayor Joseph Victor Ejercito of San Juan City, Mayor Tobias
Tiangco of Navotas, Mayor Freddie Tinga of Taguig City and Mayor
Wenceslao Trinidad of Pasay City.
Until the signing of EO 712 by President Gloria
Arroyo, Metro Manila local governments issued different traffic
citation tickets and imposed varying fines.
Binay still insistent on local powers
Binay had insisted that the Local Government
Code gives the sole power of enforcing traffic policies to cities
and towns, and that the MMDA had neither legislative nor police
powers.
But Fernando noted that the MMDA Charter took
effect in 1995, three years after the Local Government Code did,
meaning “Congress took back the power of local governments” to
enforce traffic laws.
The MMDA chairman said he would call another
meeting with Metro Manila mayors next week, in another attempt to
convince them that a single ticketing scheme would be for the best.
But Binay said on Monday that they will file
charges against the national government if it will suspend the
mayors who are invoking the authority of local governments to manage
traffic in their respective localities.
“If they suspend us, we will definitely file
cases against them for harassment, abuse of authority and willful
disobedience of the law. I am sure that the courts will rule in our
favor,” Binay said.
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