No more drag races at SRP?

After receiving lots of complaints from the public, especially on traffic congestion, the city government may no longer allow drag racing events at the South Road Properties in the future.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña also admitted yesterday that the Japan government has expressed its concern on the conduct of sports events at the 295-hectare facility. The Japan government funded the construction of the SRP through a loan.

“We’re not obliged to follow (Japan government), but they do not like the idea of motor sports, and any form of gambling at the SRP… in essence, we’re complying,” the mayor said.

He explained that although the city allows the yearly conduct of drag race at the much-talked about property in the city, it is only on certain occasion and “we do not put race track whatsoever” in the area.

But Osmeña said that what he is concerned most is the complaints the city got from the public because the sports event had allegedly caused traffic jam along Natalio Bacalso Avenue, which became the only route for vehicles going to and from the city because the SRP was closed.

“Probably we will not allow it again if the people are complaining that it had caused heavy traffic,” the mayor said.

Osmeña feels it is unfair that the city gets all the blame when in the first place, the SRP is not supposed to be opened for public use because it is not totally finished yet. He was forced to open it, he said, because of the case filed in court.

“I can’t say when to say yes or when to say no. Sometimes I wonder if I’m the mayor or the judge is the mayor,” he said.

He also pointed out that the Mayor Tommy Osmeña Cup 6 National Drag Racing Competition held at the SRP over the weekend is not his initiative and that the city didn’t organize said event.

According to Osmeña, his name was just used and that it was the office of councilor Sylvan Jakosalem that coordinated with the organizers.

But in a separate interview, Jakosalem said that Peak Summit Group, the organizer of the event, had written a letter-proposal to the mayor on the event, on which the mayor had scribbled down the instruction: “no objection but clean up after the event.” 

Neil Labrador of the Peak Summit Group also clarified that it’s already the sixth year of the racing competition at the SRP. However, he said that if the mayor decides not to allow the same event again, they would respect his decision. - Wenna A. Berondo/MEEV