By Jennifer P. Rendon
Members of the Iloilo City Public Safety and Transport Management Office (PSTMO) alleged that a ranking official of the Land Transportation Office 6 (LTO-6) violated traffic rule several times.
Worse, traffic aides Fritz Michael Tacaisan, Gerald Enujado, and Anthony Bas claimed that Engineer Arturo Apolinar, LTO-6 assistant to the regional director, did not stop and made the enforcers follow him to his office on McArthur Highway in Jaro, Iloilo City.
Captain Eduardo Siacon, Jaro police chief, confirmed that the PSTMO personnel booked the complaint around 10:30 a.m. on Oct 25, 2021.
They claimed that the incident happened an hour earlier as Apolinar crossed the intersection of El-98 Street in Jaro district.
He allegedly “beat the red light.”
They had to tail Apolinar to his office after he allegedly did not bother to stop.
And the biggest reveal? They claimed that the latest incident was the fourth time the LTO official did it.
The past three incidents happened just in the past week.
NO VIOLATION
In his radio interviews, Apolinar insisted that he did not violate traffic rules.
He claimed that the green light was winding down to 3 seconds when he crossed the El 98 intersection line.
When the “yellow” light signaled, he was already on the middle of the road.
Apolinar was differentiating beating the red light from running the red light where a car rolls on even if the traffic light has signaled stop.
It was gathered that Apolinar came from his house in Barangay Tabucan, Mandurriao and was on his way to the office when the incident happened.
If he ever did commit a violation and wanted to run off, Apolinar said he wouldn’t have travelled on his normal speed.
On why he didn’t stop when signaled to pull over, Apolinar said he wanted to meet the enforcers in his office where they could better discuss the matter.
He claimed that if he stopped on the road, the PSTMO personnel might have let him go if they find out that he was the LTO assistant regional director.
If the PSTMO would like to file charges again him, Apolinar said he would answer them in the proper venue.
As he answered the allegations against him, Apolinar also hit back at PSTMO personnel “nga naga-pamantay lang kag mangdakop (watch and catch).”
He also hit them for parking their vehicles in the area which he deemed to have obstructed traffic flow.
Apolinar also claimed that some PSTMO vehicles are also not registered.
‘WASLIK-PODER’
Jeck Conlu, PSTMO head, said he did not know about the alleged previous infractions of Apolinar.
Conlu claimed that the traffic enforcers only informed him of the LTO official’s recent violations.
“Bago lang nag report kay daw kasobra na. Daw indi na sila ka-agwanta nga gina-amo na sila,” he said.
Conlu said that his personnel didn’t even know that he was an assistant regional director.
“Hamakon mo nga kaapat na niya naubra kuno. May naghambal pa sa akon nga hambal niya kuno ginhungod nya. Ti kung indi ka bulay-og, hungdon mo pa gid ya para i-challenge ang tawo namon sa dalan?” he said.
Conlu said if ever the traffic aides erred, Apolinar, being a high ranking LTO official, should be the one to explain to his personnel.
“Tani kung naghambal sya nga indi insakto ang pagdakop sang enforcer sa iya, hambalan niya. May proper venue nga mag settle sang iya nga agrabyo kung pamatyagan nya indi insakto ang pagdakop sa iya. Pero ang LTO officer, diin ina bi nga IRR (implementing rules and regulations) nga kung magdakop ka sang violators, hambalan mo nga kadtu-i lang ko sa opisina?” he asked.
Even when there was no violation, motorists should heed if signaled by an enforcer to pull over.
“I don’t think it was the proper thing to do if you were apprehended. Kung may insakto ikaw nga respeto sa LGU kung sa diin nasakop kamo, indi ka mag-amo sina,” Conlu said.
He should be the one to follow rules being on the same line of work but what Apolinar did was a case of “waslik-poder” or “throwing his weight around.”
In fairness to other LTO-6 officials, Conlu said his office has good relationships with the agency.
They have been doing collaborations in the past, he added.
Meanwhile, Conlu also answered Apolinar’s claims that the PSTMO’s vehicle are obstructing traffic while doing their duty.
“Ti, meaning kung ang LTO kag ang HPG (Highway Patrol Group) mag checkpoint, ga-obstruct man sila sa traffic kay dira man nila na park ila salakyan?” he quipped.
For now, Conlu said that they would take things one day at a time.
“Nagpa-blotter lang sila anay and we would study if we would file a case,” he said.
