Rift over vehicle clamping continues

CEBU, Philippines — The rift among Cebu City officials over the controversy surrounding clamping measures has further escalated following a statement by Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival, in which he urged fellow public officials to exercise restraint and responsibility in their use of social media.

The incident occurred on January 13, 2026, when the private vehicles of Councilor Winston Pepito and Councilor Harry Eran were clamped by personnel of the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO).

Pepito, who chairs the City Council’s Committee on Transportation and sits on the Traffic Management Council, had displayed a car pass sticker on his vehicle.

The incident fell on a Tuesday, which is the City Council’s regular session day, although that particular session was conducted online. The CCTO clarified that the sticker was valid only for drop-off and pick-up purposes and not for parking.

Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover then lamented that the enforcement was applied to multiple officials. CCTO head Raquel Arce defended the action, citing the need for consistent implementation of traffic rules, especially during the congested period of the Fiesta Señor novena.

As the issue gained traction online, Mayor Archival issued a statement—without naming Alcover—reminding colleagues that public service demands discipline not only in governance but also in communication.

“Isip Mayor ug kanhi konsehal, I believe nga ang public service nagpasabot usab nga mag-amping ug responsible ta sa atong i-post online,” Archival said.

He warned that rushing to post accusations without verifying facts can mislead the public.

“Dili tanang makita o madungog angay dayon ipagawas sa social media. Ang dali nga paghukom can create confusion ug misinformation sa publiko,” he added, urging officials to consult concerned offices before airing opinions.

“Serbisyo publiko ni, dili drama. Klaro ug husto nga impormasyon alang sa mga Sugboanon.”

But instead of cooling tensions, Archival’s remarks drew a sharp response from Alcover, who accused the mayor of taking sides without verifying facts.

“Samot ka PALPAK!!! Double PALPAK!!!” Alcover wrote in a follow-up post. “Halangdon Mayor, imo gi-supportahan ang stand ni Palpak Queen… Pareha namo duha!!!”

He questioned whether a written memorandum had ever been issued prohibiting parking at the Yutivo side, the stretch where the councilors’ vehicles were clamped, and added that no advisory was sent through the group chat of councilors, which includes the mayor.

“Wala gyud mi kadawat ug memo. Nakadawat mi ug tawag gikan sa Office of the Vice Mayor nga ipakuha ang car pass ug ang tubag kung asa mi mag-parking: sa Yutivo side. Technically, ang among parking under sa supervision sa VM office,” he said. “So without memo from the mayor, among gisunod ang advice from VM.”

A message from the Office of the Vice Mayor, shared by Alcover with The Freeman, showed that each councilor was entitled to one vehicle/car pass for the Fiesta Señor novena days covering January 8 to 16. It also included instructions on where to place the sticker as well as the designated parking area, among others.

Alcover also said that the designated area had been closed to the public, and that they allowed Pepito to park there, only for the vehicle to be clamped later.

Alcover ended his post with a jab at City Hall’s internal coordination.

“Gubot pa sa lukot ang admin ni NDA! Walay coordination… tapos tuo lang dayon siya ni Raquel!” Alcover ended. — (FREEMAN)