LTO recruits 500: More deputies to hit the streets

CEBU, Philippines — To solidify the presence of law enforcement on the streets, the Land Transportation Office in Central Visayas (LTO)-7 is targeting to increase the number of deputized traffic enforcement personnel to at least 500 across the region.

This, as the agency is preparing to launch its own enforcement application to strengthen traffic law enforcement.

LTO-7 Regional Director Atty. Wendell Dinglasan said the agency has already deputized around 200 personnel and plans to continue expanding the program in partnership with the Philippine National Police (PNP), local government units (LGUs), and other traffic enforcement agencies.

“Our plan is to at least have 500 deputized personnel. If we can reach 1,000 for the whole region, why not?” Dinglasan said during an interview.

He said the expansion is necessary as the LTO has only a limited number of plantilla personnel assigned to enforce traffic laws throughout Central Visayas.

Dinglasan explained that deputized personnel shall undergo training before being granted the authority to enforce certain provisions of transportation laws and issue citations.

The regional office recently completed a deputation program in Bohol and is preparing another round of training for traffic enforcers in Cebu's tri-cities.

The LTO-7 chief said that strengthening partnerships with law enforcement agencies and expanding the number of trained deputized personnel will enhance traffic law enforcement and improve road safety across Central Visayas.

In another development, LTO-7 will also expand the distribution of breathalyzers to more local government units (LGUs) once additional units are supplied by its Central Office.

Dinglasan said the initial deployment has been prioritized in the tri-cities, where establishments serving alcoholic beverages are concentrated.

“Since kokonti pa lang ang breathalyzers na ipinoprovide sa atin ng LTO Central Office, inuna muna natin ang tri-cities dahil dito maraming establishments na nagbebenta ng alcohol,” he said.

He said neighboring cities and municipalities will also receive breathalyzers as soon as more units become available to strengthen enforcement of the Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act.

He stressed that breathalyzers are essential in prosecuting drunk driving cases since the test results serve as vital evidence in court.

“Ang resulta ng breathalyzer ay kailangan para sa court convictions. Kung walang resulta ng breathalyzer, mahihirapan tayong makapag-convict dahil mahalagang ebidensya ito sa court proceedings,” he said.

He added that relying solely on the smell of alcohol is subjective and insufficient to establish a violation.

“Maaaring sabihin ng enforcer na amoy alak ang isang driver, pero kung hindi naman siya lumampas sa limit na itinakda ng batas, hindi siya dapat kasuhan,” Dinglasan explained.

He said providing breathalyzers to LGUs also serves as a warning to motorists that enforcement is no longer limited to LTO personnel.

“Hindi lang ang LTO ang magpapatupad ng batas laban sa drunk driving. Pati ang mga deputized personnel ng LGUs na may hawak na breathalyzer ay maaari ring magpatupad nito,” he said.

He reminded motorists that while drinking alcohol is not prohibited, they should never drive after consuming alcoholic beverages. (CEBU NEWS)