Councilors not spared by CCTO

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) is once again under scrutiny, this time for clamping vehicles belonging to city councilors.

The backlash came after private vehicles of Councilors Winston Pepito, chairman of the Committee on Transportation of the City Council, and Harry Eran were immobilized despite reportedly bearing sticker passes.

The same stretch of road was temporarily closed to public access to pave the way for devotees attending the Novena masses being held at the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño de Cebu, just adjacent to Cebu City Hall.

CCTO chief Raquel Arce, on the other hand, defended her office’s actions, saying enforcement was carried out in line with regulations amid massive congestion during the Fiesta Señor novena masses.

Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover, a vocal critic of the CCTO’s previous clamping efforts, quickly branded the incident “palpak,” accusing Arce of “arrogance and disrespect” toward elected officials.

Both Pepito and Alcover argued that councilors had been instructed by the Mayor’s Office to use the said stretch beside City Hall’s executive building as their designated parking area.

According to Pepito, this was the instruction since their designated parking spaces in front of the Legislative Building were being temporarily utilized.

Alcover, on the other hand, questioned why Pepito’s and Eran’s vehicles were clamped despite having valid passes, warning against what he described as Arce’s unchecked tenure under successive mayors.

“Imagine si Kons. Pepito maoy chairman sa Committee on Transportation. Mas hawud pa ka niya (referring to CCTO head Raquel Arce)” Alcover said.

Pepito himself shared on his social media account video footage showing his clamped vehicle. Despite this, he told the media that the incident may have been a “miscommunication” on the part of the enforcers.

While the clamp was later removed, the incident added fuel to public criticism against the CCTO. The controversy comes as the CCTO is already in the spotlight.

On the first day of the nine-day novena masses in honor of the Señor Santo Niño, thousands of devotees flocked to the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño.

Road closures and rerouting around Osmeña Boulevard, D. Jakosalem Street, and other arteries were enforced to manage the influx.

The measures, while necessary for public safety, drew mixed reactions from motorists and officials alike, underscoring the delicate balance between religious tradition, civic order, and political friction.

Arce, responding via social media, said she had not intended to address the matter further since the concerned councilor did not complain.

But following Alcover’s public remarks, she clarified that the 100 stickers issued by Mayor Nestor Archival were vehicle passes for entry into City Hall Square and not parking permits.

She stressed that councilors were only allowed to park in areas designated for emergency vehicles, and that congestion worsened when police complained they could no longer access the slots in the afternoon.

“Kinsa man ultimo nga empleyado sa goberyerno ang MOBANGGA ug KONSEHAL? Pero kon wala makaila ang enforcer nga kang honorable ang maong sakyanan ma-clamp man gyud,” Arce said, appealing for understanding and urging councilors to rotate their vehicles to give others a chance to park.

She also said that the other vehicle did not bear any sticker. Arce reiterated that her office was simply enforcing rules under extraordinary circumstances.

As Cebu braces for the culmination of the Fiesta Señor and the Sinulog Festival, the parking row underscores the broader challenges of governance during one of the city’s busiest seasons.

She closed her statement with a plea for reconciliation: “Pit Senyor, Konsehal. Let’s make peace, not war.” — /IHM (FREEMAN)