Rama appoints lawyer as traffic czar

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Michael Rama appointed a lawyer to head the soon to be created Cebu City Transportation Office that will serve as the city’s traffic enforcement arm.

Lawyer Rafael Christopher Yap, son of Regional Trial Court Judge Marilyn Yap in Mandaue City, was chosen by Rama because of his experience in the traffic body being a member of the City Traffic Operations Management Board.

Yap, whose family is friend to Rama, is one of the city legal officers and has been sitting in the CITOM board as representative of the city legal office.

The 28 year-old lawyer readily accepted the appointment and made the assurance to improve the image of the traffic division.

The creation of Yap’s department however is not yet completed because the previous city council failed to approve the ordinance creating it.

The present city council however is expected to finish the passage of the ordinance creating the transportation office very soon. The new traffic arm will still be under the supervision of the CITOM Board which will serve as the policy making body.

Pending the formal creation of the CCTO, Rama said Yap can already report as head of CITOM and to sit as regular member of the CITOM Board.

Yap said he will work for the immediate hiring of additional 100 traffic enforcers and to see to it that the CITOM enforcers will be visible on every intersection to man the traffic.

CITOM Chair Sylvan “Jack” Jakosalem said he already instructed the traffic enforcers not to just stand beside the road, but they should man the traffic, particularly on busy intersections.

With Yap’s entry to CITOM there is a possibility that executive director Arnel Tancinco will be reassigned to another position. — Rene U. Borromeo and Razel V. Cuizon/FPL (THE FREEMAN)