CITOM: 201 erring drivers surrender

CEBU, Philippines - At least 201 erring drivers have voluntarily surrendered to the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management since the implementation of the bench warrant against them on September 13.

CITOM operations chief Joy Tumulak said these offenders are composed of taxi and public utility jeepney drivers.

"Kaning mga drivers kay kabalo man sila na naa sila'y various traffic violations ni-surrender na lamang, giunhan pa nila ang pagpagawas sa bench warrant kay na threatened sila," Tumulak said.

Tumulak said the 201 drivers paid P2,000 per violations and they were given Affidavit of Desistance that will be presented to Judge Monalisa Tecson of Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) Branch 1.

Tecson released some of the bench warrants of arrest on August 12, 2013.

 Tumulak said Citom is expecting that cases of traffic violations will gradually decrease due to their strict implementation of traffic laws with the help of the bench warrant.

Tumulak said out of the 90 erring drivers with hundreds of traffic violations, 76 were already arrested while 23 are still at large.

The city legal attorney had provided assistance to Citom by also filing at least 500 cases against the erring drivers.

"This way, we are giving them discipline aron magbantay ug magmatngon na sila sa traffic laws, then later mahimo na ni nga habit sa mga drivers and virtue," city attorney Jerone Castillo said.

16 drivers arrested

In a span of one month, at least 16 public utility drivers with bench warrants were arrested.

This was contained in an October 4 report submitted to CITOM executive director Atty. Rafael Christopher Yap by Traffic Patrol Group chief Police Superintendent Rey Tiempo.

Arrests for these erring drivers - who failed to appear before the court following charges filed against them by CITOM - were made within the period from September 13 to September 30.

The first 10 drivers listed in the report included Venerando Alido Raganas, Jimmy Tesoro Campo, Maximo Gamboa Guevarra, Leonardo Vapinas Salaguste, Christopher Agustin Dela Ganar, Renante Augusto Ynot, Darwin Plazrizan Larita, Emilio Mabatid Pardenilla, Jr., Abner Marcellana and Jonathan Flores.

The remaining six arrested drivers Randy Campaner, Gaudioso Requina Zuniega, Jose Herman Lomanog Mahinay, Eduardo Lood Quijano, Jr. and Joy Cabusao Tapic. — /LPM (FREEMAN)