CCTO execs snub session

CEBU, Philippines - Officials of the Cebu City Traffic Operations did not show up yesterday during the second City Council executive session called for supposedly to discuss the operation of One Citilink Terminal.

The snub dismayed some city councilors, who wanted the situation resolved already since All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day are just a few days away.

“Kinahanglan dali-on ta ni og resolbar kay ang mga pasahero nato mangayabag kay ang mahitabo, dakong tsansa nga gubot ang pagsakay sa atong mga kaigsuonan nga taga probinsya nga nagtrabaho diri sa Siyudad sa Sugbo,” said City Councilor Alvin Arcilla, who is allied with opposition group Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan, which holds the majority at the City Council.

Any representative from CCTO officials was invited to appear before the City Council following the request of van-for-hire drivers and operators that they be allowed by the city government to return to the One Citilink Terminal on N. Bacalso Avenue.

But only a member of the CCTO Legal Division showed up representing CCTO Executive Director Rey Gealon. The man, though, could only give limited responses to the city councilors’ queries.

V-hires plying southern Cebu routes are currently being accommodated at the Compania Maritima premises near City Hall after Mayor Michael Rama ordered on July 27, 2015 the closure of One Citilink Terminal.

Arcilla believed that Rama’s move was politically-motivated.

“Kahibalo ko unsay rason niini.  Politika. Kay ang tag-iya sa Citilink supporter sa BOPK,” he said.

“So ang akong hangyo mangita ta og win-win solution nga pabor sa drivers ug hamugaway sa sumasakay. Sa tinuoray daghang maglibog kon asa sila sakay, sa Citilink Terminal or ari kilid sa City Hall. Mao na akong hangyo nga pasabta sila (CCTO officials) nga sila mo-ari,” he added.

Gealon, for his part, said he had to attend to two meetings and one turnover ceremony yesterday.

Instead, Redosel Gabumpa, one of the legal staff of CCTO,  read a  written manifestation of the v-hire drivers and operators.

“Kaming mga operators ug drivers diri sa Maritima, nalipay sa kaayo nga gipakita (sa) Siyudad sa Sugbo, kanamo nga gi-angayan kami og tents, portables, suga, security ug shuttle service nga walay bayad. Boluntaryo kami nga nagpabilin diri sa Compania Maritima, wala kami pugsa ug gihadlok aron magpabilin dinhi kay amo kining kabubut-on nga magpabilin,” Gabumpa said, reading the one-page paper.

But the words he uttered ran counter to the sentiments expressed by drivers and operators present during the session.

“Lisod kaayo pagbiyahe tungod kay ang lugar pwerteng layo-a ug tuyuon kaayo. Pero gi-agwanta na namo at that time kay wala pa may court order. Pero karon naa naman na, hangyo mi ninyo nga mobalik mi sa Citilink, dili lang para namo pero para sa among pasahero,” said Manolito Compacion, driver and operator of a Cebu City-Balamban v-hire. — (FREEMAN)