City warns summit cops vs. breaking traffic rules

The city government has issued a fresh warning to policemen deployed as part of the augmentation force for the ASEAN Summit not to violate local laws or face prosecution.

City information officer Nagiel Bañacia, the city's representative to the Cebu Organizing Committee of the summit, said several of these policemen were seen violating the city's traffic laws since the summit was first scheduled last December.

There were patrol cars seen taking the wrong lane and even entering one-way streets, he said adding that he already raised the matter to the summit organizer's security panel then.

Bañacia was surprised however to see another traffic violation yesterday afternoon when he saw a bus of the Presidential Security Group jump the red light at the intersection of the Mabolo Church.

There were patrol cars also seen disregarding a "no parking" sign at the highway in Banilad across the PSG headquarters of the PSG. City traffic authorities had these cars clamped.

"It seems that there is a blatant violation of traffic laws. It's not good to see (these policemen) violating our traffic rules...they are not above the law just because they are part of the ASEAN Summit," Bañacia said.

Bañacia said the traffic group has been given already special instructions to strictly implement the city's traffic rules regardless of who is involved.

The city presumed that these policemen, from other regions, must have undertaken orientation classes on local traffic rules but the continuing violation must compel them to undergo another orientation, he said.

Bañacia said the city cannot just sit back and wait for accidents to happen because of their recklessness, adding that any prosecution of these violators will encounter setbacks because they will be leaving the city after the summit.

At least 1,000 policemen were deployed in Cebu to augment the security personnel for the summit that is slated to finally start this Friday. - Joeberth M. Ocao