Editorial

Road clearing a serious mandate

Cotabato City is not one of the first batch of 10 local government units whose mayors are slapped with administrative charges before the Office of the Ombudsman “for failing to comply with the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte to clear roads of illegal obstructions.”

Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año said these concerned mayors are charged with gross neglect of duty and grave misconduct. In Mindanao, those concerned are from Lapuyan and Aurora in Zamboanga del Sur, Sagay and Guinsiliban in Camiguin, Manticao in Misamis Oriental, and Caraga in Davao Oriental.  

In the words of Secretary Año: “These mayors failed to perform their duty to clear their roads of obstructions, they did not develop or implement any displacement program or plan, they do not have any long-term rehabilitation and sustainability plan in place, and they failed to set up a feedback or grievance mechanism for their constituents; hence, we are compelled to seek their suspension from office.” 

Why the road clearing operation? This is to return all roads for the enjoyment and utilization of the public. Public road networks are for public commutation and not for use for private interests or enterprise.

The DILG memorandum circular directed to all mayors is clear: “To use all their powers under the law to reclaim public roads being used for private ends.”

The department will be issuing another directive mandating the mayors to clear roads in 75 days as it noted these past holidays that some obstructions have returned but the LGUs have done nothing to stop their return. As if it’s like the old saying: “When the cat is away, the mouse will play.”

Local chief executives, through their instrumentalities including the barangay governments, have to be serious about the road-clearing edict as this redound to public interest, and “no exemption please.” If the mayors have to be sanctioned… so be it because they have been neglectful. Those delegated to monitor the road-clearing operation but failed to enforce the directive should also face the legal sanctions.

Illegal parking is one obstruction to smooth traffic and violators have to be penalized. The LGU’s traffic management team has to be sensitive on this and should strictly enforce the traffic ordinance to this effect, or face also the penalties of law for neglect of duty.

People are pleased with the move of the DILG for slapping legal sanctions against non-performing mayors or local chief executives. This proves that our national government is serious about the implementation of laws and that such edicts be religiously enforced by those given the authority or otherwise they don’t deserve to occupy public office because of violation of public trust.        

        Other than road-clearing, there are other challenges for LGUs --- clearing of motorcycles with open-pipe mufflers as these cause further noise pollution and clearing of barangays from drug trafficking as this is a social and economic menace to society. Added to this is clearing of communities from trash and garbage.