Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez has directed the withdrawal or nullification of a Bacolod Traffic Authority Office memorandum to all traffic enforces giving them a quota of five apprehensions a day, his spokesman Caesar Distrito said Saturday, April 20.
The memorandum dated April 3 and signed by BTAO officer-in-charge Patrick Lacson and deputy head Jose Antonio Robello addressed to all traffic enforcers, supervisors and strikers states that “all apprehending officers must have at least five apprehensions a day. Noncompliance may result to suspension or termination. Effective immediately”.
Distrito said the mayor on learning of the memorandum immediately issued a Notice to Explain to Lacson on the existence of such memorandum, and the rationale and legal basis of such issuance.
The mayor directed the withdrawal or nullification of such memorandum if they indeed issued it as it does not have his approval, Distrito said.
“He emphasized that it is not valid and effective, and ordered all traffic enforcers to ignore the same,” Distrito added.
The mayor “believes that the apprehension of violators should be based on the actual violation, and not on the basis of quota system. It would be unfair to both our traffic enforcers and motorists to be subjected with this pressure, and they will be prone to abuses,” Distrito added.
Lacson said the mayor is his boss so he immediately complied with his order to recall the memorandum effective immediately on Saturday night.
“The intention of issuing such a memo was for our enforcers to do their job and not be passive, as my office received many reports that they are passive, even when violations are happening in front of them,” he said.
Lacson said since the memorandum was issued on April 3 no one was terminated.
It is an open secret that the quota system is practiced in many other areas, including previously in New York City where its traffic management is successful, Lacson said.
His fault is he did not double check with the mayor and city legal officer before issuing the memorandum, Lacson said.
“I wish to make a similar memo, with the same objective, and will have it approved first by the mayor and city legal as to be technically safe,” he added.*