Two more barangay officials were charged at the Office of the Ombudsman for not cooperating with the Metro Manila Development Authority in connection with the government’s campaign against illegally parked vehicles and other road obstructions.
Charged with gross neglect of duty were Michael Philip Factor, barangay chairman of Dongalo, Parañaque City, and Elmer Maturan of Barangay Bagumbayan, Quezon City.
The filing of administrative case last Monday brings to four the total of barangay chairmen who were charged by the agency, days after President Rodrigo Duterte directed MMDA general manager and acting chairman Thomas Orbos to start filing charges against village officials who would be remiss in their duty.
Last Friday, two barangay officials were also charged at the Ombudsman for allowing illegal parking in the roads of their villages.
The officials were identified as Antonio Benito Calma Jr. of Barangay Don Manuel and Clarito de Jesus of Barangay Veterans Village.
During his visit to the MMDA Tuesday last week, President Duterte directed Orbos to immediately enforce traffic measures to address the worsening traffic situation in the metropolis.
Orbos said Mr. Duterte also ordered him to start the clearing operation along the service road of Roxas Boulevard, where illegally-parked private vehicles was a common sight.
He added he was also instructed by the president to create guidelines for the implementation of a flexible time schedule for government employees, as well as on the use of trucks at major thoroughfares.
MMDA officials earlier complained that the lack of cooperation from barangay officials hampers the government’s campaign against illegally-parked vehicles and other obstructions on secondary roads and other alternate routes for private vehicles avoiding the congested Epifanio de los Santos Avenue.
The clearing operation is also being done in close coordination with Philippine National Police—Highway Patrol Group and the Department of Transportation.
Orbos said his agency is also encouraging the people to cooperate and report illegally parked vehicles and other obstruction on major roads through its website Netizens Watch.
The MMDA launched the social media reporting system in a bid to encourage citizens to report to the agency all traffic obstructions on all roads in Metro Manila.
The report should include the name of the sender and the actual picture, including the detailed location where the illegally parked vehicle or the obstruction was spotted and the time when it was taken.
Orbos said his agency apprehends a daily average of 70 to 100 motorists violating the anti-illegal parking rule.
Owners of illegally parked vehicles are fined a minimum of P200 for the first offense, and a minimum of P500 if their vehicles are towed.
Earlier, members of the Metro Manila Council, the governing board and policy-making body of the MMDA which is composed of 17 mayors in the National Capital Region, rejected the proposed implementation of the three-digit number coding scheme.
The mayors instead suggested that the MMDA and other members of the Inter-agency Council on Traffic intensify the campaign against illegally-parked vehicles and other obstructions on both major and secondary roads.
