Cebu City attorney cautious over P122-M traffic fines’ issue

CEBU CITY — Before he issues any recommendation on the P122 million accumulated fines by drivers, the city attorney has taken caution by determining which fines have actually prescribed.

For months now, drivers and transport leaders have sought the scrapping of the accumulated fines as penalties for traffic violations committed over a 10-year period.

Drivers and transport leaders insist that the fines have prescribed because the city government failed to enforce and collect them at the time the violations were committed, mostly in the 1990s.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña has ordered the fines paid. But the tug-of-war between him and the transport groups has led to a series of transport strikes without resolving anything.

The city council has kept its distance on the issue and instead asked city attorney Ramiro Madarang to give his opinion.

But Madarang, in turn, asked the city council to deliberate on the issue, and required the City Traffic Operations and Management to conduct an inventory of all traffic violations and determine which fines have prescribed.

He said these infractions need to be double-checked if they were committed under a city ordinance or under special laws.

"This office holds the view that while violations of the ordinances may have prescribed, the same violations may still be prosecuted pursuant to the laws on transportation and traffic rules," Madarang said. — Freeman News Service