Parking regulations in Sun Valley will "minimize" illegal drug pushing

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Councilor Jose Daluz III believes that once vehicle parking at Sun Valley and Alden Abi-abi Drives in barangay Calamba will be regulated during daytime and banned in the evenings, the illegal drug trade in the area will be minimized, if not stopped.

The move was presented in a public hearing before the City Council last Wednesday.

Several residents of barangay Calamba and Labangon attended the forum to air their sentiments, particularly on the proposal to close the road exits leading to the interior portion of barangay Calamba.

Daluz proposed that the end portions of the two roads leading to the interior part of Calamba shall be closed from 10 o’clock in the evening until 5 o’clock the following day to minimize the illegal activities of drug pushers and users who usually pass by the place.

According to Daluz, customers of illegal drugs usually park their vehicles at the roadside of Sun Valley and Alden Abi-abi Drives, particularly during nighttime. Abi-abi was a barangay councilman of Calamba who was gunned down by drug protectors because of his advocacy against illegal drugs.

Daluz is a resident of Sun Valley Drive. He said he is amenable to the request of some residents to exempt them from the implementation of the “no parking and no overnight parking” of their vehicles.

One of the speakers asked Daluz, who claimed that some of the pushers are his childhood friends, on why they were not arrested.

Daluz replied that going after the drug pushers is the responsibility of the police.

The owners or drivers of vehicles found parked within the 30-meter radius from the dead end of the two roads during daytime and those parked at the roadside overnight shall face a fine of P5,000 or one year imprisonment.

The officials of the police, City Traffic Operations Management (CITOM) and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) are supporting the enactment of the proposed ordinance. (FREEMAN)