City council okays legal suit vs LTO-6 official

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

The Sangguniang Panglungsod of Iloilo City on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021 authorized Mayor Jerry Treñas to pursue administrative charges against a Land Transportation Office-Region 6 (LTO-6) official for not following traffic signals in the city multiple times.

The city council approved without objection a resolution which would allow Treñas to file a case against Arturo Apolinar, the assistant to the LTO-6 regional director.

The mayor told media via Viber that he would only file the case when he receives the resolution but he did not mention where he will be filing the complaint.

Majority Floor Leader and transportation committee chairperson, Councilor Romel Duron, explained that the venue for the complaint will depend on which government branch has primary jurisdiction over the matter.

“The Ombudsman has administrative jurisdiction, and the DOTr, where [Apolinar] is an employee, also has administrative supervision [over him]. Whoever has jurisdiction first, that is where they will try first to the exclusion of others, since the complaint is the same,” Duron explained.

“According to the mayor, it will be an administrative complaint, it will depend on him where he will file it. It can be filed with either the DOTr or the Ombudsman. Both have jurisdiction, but wherever [Treñas] files first, the other bodies will be excluded,” he added.

Apolinar was caught by Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO) personnel for allegedly beating the red light four times within two weeks back in October.

The enforcers ultimately followed Apolinar to the LTO-6 office on Oct. 25.

LTO chief Edgar Galvante did issue an order immediately dismissing Apolinar on Oct. 26 after the mayor echoed sentiments against the latter to Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arturo Tugade, among other national government officials.

But Tugade clarified on Monday that he was only meted with preventive suspension pending the LTO’s own internal investigation into the matter.