By Aerol John Pateña/PNA
MANILA — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is eyeing to file charges against pedestrians apprehended for jaywalking and did not settle their citation tickets.
This, as its policy-making body Metro Manila Council (MMC) agreed on Thursday to deputize the MMDA to enforce local ordinances against jaywalking during its meeting.
“We are delighted that all LGUs in Metro Manila have anti-jaywalking ordinances. We have asked them (LGUs) to deputize our men to give more teeth to the local ordinances,” MMDA general manager Jose Arturo Garcia said in an interview with reporters.
“If we apprehend a jaywalker and he disregards the ticket, we can file charges for violating a local ordinance and forward his name to NBI (National Bureau of Investigation),” he added.
The names of violators who fail to pay the fines or undergo community service will be included on the NBI’s alarm list to compel the offenders to settle the penalty.
MMC, which consists of the mayors of Metro Manila, has yet to sign the resolution before its implementation.
Currently, violators are issued citation tickets with a corresponding PHP500 fine. Jaywalkers have the option to pay the fine or render community service.
The LGUs, meanwhile, have their respective anti-jaywalking ordinances that are implemented within their jurisdictions.
