First day on the job ends badly: Enforcer hit by van

CEBU, Philippines -  A female traffic enforcer ended her first day of duty in the hospital after she was sideswiped by a delivery van in the downtown area of Cebu City, yesterday, while she was running after a jaywalking violator.

Jocelyn Navicilla, 41, of Barangay Tisa, Cebu City, sustained several injuries and was taken to the Cebu City Medical Center after she was struck by the left side mirror of an Isuzu delivery van with license plate numbers YKC-521 driven by Noel Camocamo, 24, of Barangay Talamban, Cebu City.

Cebu City Traffic Operations Management investigator Filomino Vicuezo said that Navicilla was running after a female jaywalker who allegedly crossed Juan Luna Street when she got hit by Camocamo’s van, which was heading to Carbon Market from Osmeña Boulevard.

CITOM chief Joy Tumulak said that they are still investigating the exact circumstances because the two parties have different statements. Camocamo said it was already the green light when he drove across Colon Street fronting Metro Gaisano, but Navicilla insisted the light was still red.

Tumulak said that the enforcer sustained minor injuries in her left arm and left portion of her head. She now in a stable condition but is still waiting for her Computerized Tomography Scan result.

Tumulak said that the owner of the van shouldered the hospital bills of the victim. Camocamo was later released as the family of the victim has not decided whether or not to file charges for reckless imprudence resulting to physical injuries, but his driver’s license was confiscated.

Last July 15, Maria Theresa Bascones, a female traffic enforcer, died after she was hit by a Hyundai Tucson wagon driven by Korean national Sun Kyung Heo while manning the traffic in Barangay Banilad. Last July 20 a drunk motorcycle driver tried to hit traffic enforcer Bonifacio dela Cruz in a bid to escape after he committed a traffic violation.

With the successive accidents involving the enforcers, Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella asked CITOM to intensify the training of enforcers before deploying them to their designated areas.

Labella said that training of enforcers should be of great concern due to the hazardous nature of their job.

Tumulak said that Navicilla is not new to the street as she was a former parking aid.

He said that the all enforcers have undergone training and orientation.

“Amo gyud na silang gipahimangnoan daan nga dili mag-apas after anang mga dakop para income, but ang dapat priority ang pagpasidaan sa mga tao para malikay sa disgrasya,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Tumulak appealed to fast track the implementation of the accident insurance of the enforcers.

The City Disaster Council has recently passed a resolution allocating P1 million a year accident group insurance for fire auxiliary officers, emergency medical service workers on field, 400 disaster response volunteers, and 250 traffic enforcers.

The P1-million will be charged against the P200-million annual budget for the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management.

LDRRM chairman David Tumulak, the brother of the CITOM chief, earlier said that the accident insurance is mandated by law under Section 5, Rule 9 of Republic Act 101211 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010.

The law states that “any volunteer who incurs death or injury while engaged in any of the activities shall be entitled to compensatory benefits and individual personnel accident insurance.”

Labella said that the accident insurance of the enforcers would be one of the things he will tackle with Mayor Michael Rama who is now on leave in the US.  — /BRP (FREEMAN)