Archival orders strict enforcement of “Safer Cities” initiatives

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival said the city will intensify and strictly enforce its “Safer Cities” program following a recent vehicular incident involving a minor and a series of road crashes reported across the city.

The mayor’s statement came after questions were raised during a press conference on why a 14-year-old was involved in a late-night vehicular incident despite the existing safety measures on minors.

Archival said he has already coordinated with the Cebu City Police Office to verify details of the case, noting that initial reports remain unclear and largely based on unverified online information.

“I was actually asking myself why it happened,” he said, adding that authorities are still gathering facts, including reports that the minors involved may have come from a basketball game.

In response, the mayor stressed that the city will move toward stricter and more consistent enforcement of safety measures.

“We will be pushing very hard to ensure that the Safer Cities program is strictly implemented,” Archival said.

The Safer Cities initiative focuses on improving public safety through coordinated enforcement, particularly targeting minors in vulnerable situations, curfew compliance, and crime prevention.

When asked whether the city would intervene in cases of parental negligence under the parens patriae principle, Archival said the local government is not yet considering direct intervention in family matters.

“So far, we are not in that situation,” he said, noting that most parents remain cooperative based on feedback from authorities.

However, the mayor welcomed suggestions to strengthen mechanisms that hold parents accountable when minors are repeatedly involved in violations.

A member of the mayor’s legal team, Atty. Irish Dwight Remedio clarified that specialized family courts already exist under the Regional Trial Court system. These courts handle cases involving children and families and are already active.

Beyond the incident involving a minor, Archival also cited a series of recent road accidents in areas such as downtown Cebu and Capitol Site as further basis for tightening enforcement.

He said many of these incidents stem from lack of discipline and road courtesy among drivers, including failure to observe traffic signals and right-of-way rules.

To address this, the city will convene a meeting with the Cebu Traffic Management Coordination to review enforcement strategies, including driver retraining and stricter monitoring.

The mayor said the strengthened implementation of the Safer Cities program will focus on preventing what he described as “unnecessary accidents” and ensuring safer roads and communities.

“This will be part ofour discussions—how to improve discipline and make sure policies are followed,” Archival said. /Jose Luis Flores, CTU-Tuburan Intern (IHM. (CEBU NEWS)