MANILA , July 25 — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) warned anew barangay officials who tolerate illegally parked vehicles and other obstructions along roads within their jurisdictions that they will be suspended from office.
MMDA Chairman Danilo Lim reiterated this in a press conference Tuesday as he welcomed President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to the agency and local government units (LGUs) to clear roads of illegally parked vehicles and other traffic obstructions to ensure the free flow of traffic in his second State of the Nation Address (SONA).
“We are grateful for the President’s directive for us to clear the roads of illegally parked vehicles and vendors as this will help us significantly in our duty to ease the traffic congestion in Metro Manila. With this mandate, we aim to get the cooperation of the barangays and LGUs in fulfilling this initiative,” Lim said.
The MMDA chief said the agency is set to forge an agreement with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) that will further reinforce its road clearing operations.
“Once this agreement is set into place, the DILG may impose sanctions against barangay officials who are tolerating traffic obstructions within their localities. Uncooperative barangay officials may now be suspended,” Lim explained.
“Barangay officials should take responsibility that the roads should be cleared,” he added.
The MMDA Anti-Illegal Parking and Sidewalk Clearing Operations Group had been relentless in getting rid of vehicles obstructing Metro Manila streets especially the Mabuhay Lanes and the other alternative routes used by motorists avoiding EDSA. It has already towed more than 3,000 vehicles since January this year.
Likewise, MMDA has filed administrative cases against seven barangay chairmen in Metro Manila for failing to clear roads of local obstructions after these had been initially cleared by its personnel.
The Department of Interior and Local Government-National Capital Region (DILG-NCR) recently issued a memorandum enjoining all barangay chairmen “to ensure that all roads within their area of jurisdiction are free from all kinds of obstructions.”
In a memorandum dated April 12, 2017, DILG-NCR said that President Rodrigo Duterte has instructed its office and the MMDA to sue barangay officials who neglect or refuse to cooperate with concerned agencies in clearing roads of all types of obstructions. (Aerol B. Patena/PNA)