Sanctions sought vs. traffic enforcers not arresting dispatchers

The city attorney's office is seeking sanctions against traffic enforcers who are not apprehending public utility jeepney dispatchers and watch-your-car boys.

Acting city attorney Rodolfo Golez said despite the city's anti-dispatching ordinance, traffic enforcers are still ignoring their task of apprehending dispatchers and watch-your-car boys.

But Councilor Augustus Pe Jr., a member of the City Council committee on police, is not in favor of giving the task of apprehending "extortionists in the streets" to the traffic enforcers.

"Mangamatay nang atong mga traffic enforcers kay sigurado man nga panimaslan sila sa ilang pangdakpon, unya naa ra sila kanunay sa ilang pwesto," Pe told The FREEMAN.

The councilor suggested that the task should be assigned to a task force composed of policemen because the civilian traffic enforcers have no guns.

For his part, acting city police director Patrocinio Comendador said he would give traffic police chief Jonathan Abella a quota of how many dispatchers and watch-your-car boys should be apprehended in a week.

During the public hearing over the proposed amendment to the existing anti-dispatching ordinance last Wednesday, none of the hundreds of dispatchers and watch-your-car boys appeared.

This would mean the approval of the proposal increasing the fine up to P5,000 for anybody apprehended for dispatching and car watching is gaining ground. The proposal seeks to discourage dispatching and other "extortion activities."

It has been observed that ever since the 1986 enactment of City Ordinance 1219, which bans dispatching public utility vehicles and car watching, the campaign against dispatchers and watch-your-car boys remained inutile.

Some PUJ drivers, who are giving P5 or P10 to dispatchers, said they fear that something might happen to them once they refuse to give in to the dispatchers' demand.

Dispatching is defined as an act of procuring, soliciting, or escorting passengers or would-be passengers to any passenger vehicles whether under the direction of the driver or operator with or without demanding fees. - Rene U. Borromeo/LPM