Spikes disable 15 cars at SRP

More than a kilo of nail spikes was strewn over a stretch of the controversial south coastal road Thursday night, disabling more than a dozen motor vehicles.

The spikes started affecting motorists just hours after the city government demolished a number of squatters shanties at the south reclamation project through which the south coastal road traverses.

Police, however, refused to say if the evicted squatters were to blame, saying it was too early to pinpoint anyone.

Police Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Branch chief Paul Labra said the spikes were scattered on a stretch of road near the Inayawan-Laray area, just a short distance of a few meters from a bridge under which the shanties had sprouted and subsequently demolished.

The spikes disabled a total of 15 motor vehicles, ranging from cars to trucks.

Policemen summoned to the area recovered more than a kilo of spikes from the road.

The squatters shanties sprouted under the bridge shortly after Mayor Tomas Osmena ordered the road reopened on orders of the court.

Osmena ordered the road closed following his quarrel with Talisay City officials over that city's claim to a portion of the south reclamation project, which they said encroached on their territory.

The official reason given by Osmena for the closure, however, was that there was a need to protect city government assets found inside the project.

Legal questions immediately erupted following the closure, with the court eventually ruling that Osmena has to reopen the road.

One of the first things that happened after the reopening, however, was that squatters promptly descended on the area. They were just as promptly driven away.

And then the spikes materialized.

At present there are only eight policemen divided into two teams who are securing the facility in two shifts. They are, however, augmented by barangay tanods from nearby.

Labra, though, said there is a need for an additional team of eight policeman to secure the facility.

The five shanties, incidentally, were owned by squatters from Talisay City.

After Talisay City laid claim to a portion of the south reclamation project, Osmena drove away from the city's markets all vendors known to be from Talisay City.

He then ordered the coast road closed.

The road provides a vital shortcut between Cebu City and Talisay City as well as all towns farther south. - Ryan Borinaga