HIT AND RUN: Mayor orders PSTMO to man roads amid rising mishaps

By: Emme Rose Santiagudo

Prompted by the increasing number of vehicular accidents in Iloilo City, Mayor Jerry Treñas said he ordered Public Safety and Transportation Management Office (PSTMO) to man city streets, particularly the Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue or Diversion road in Mandurriao district following the recent spate of vehicular incidents in the area.

“I have instructed PSTMO head Jeck Conlu to coordinate with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and Highway Patrol Group (HPG), and Philippine National Police (PNP) nga mag-position na sila sa Diversion road kay kalabanan sang hit and run dira,” he said on Monday.

Security guard Jemar Celebrado was crossing the Diversion road when he was hit by a speeding sports utility vehicle last December 18, 2019.

The hit-and-run victim was brought to the Western Visayas Medical Center in Mandurriao district but was declared dead on arrival.

From January to December 15, 2019, the Police Regional Office in Western Visayas (PRO-6) recorded 12,560 cases of vehicular accidents in the region.

Iloilo City accounted 50% of the vehicular accidents at 5, 911 followed by Iloilo province (2,880), Capiz (1,472), Negros Occidental (1,081), Aklan (567), Bacolod City (257), Antique (239), and Guimaras (153).

Most of cases recorded by PRO-6 are reckless imprudence resulting in damage to property with 7,627 recorded cases; reckless imprudence resulting in physical injury (4,090 cases); and reckless imprudence resulting in homicide (443).

“I have given 28 motorcycles and eight patrol cars to police, given 12 motorcycles to PSTMO so it’s about time that they start using it otherwise we will just give it to other people who might be able to use it,” the mayor said.

Recently, the city government announced its plan to designate the 14-kilometer stretch of Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue as the city’s first “Traffic Discipline Zone”.

PSTMO head Jeck Conlu said the plan is to enforce a 24-hour traffic discipline zone in the area where local ordinances and national road laws will be strictly implemented.

He said that teams from the PSTMO, LTO, HPG and other agencies will be deployed in the area to strictly enforce laws on speed limit, anti-modified mufflers, proper loading and unloading and other road and traffic regulations.