LTO-NIR probes Bacolod government vehicle counterflow

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY — The Land Transportation Office-Negros Island Region is investigating a government vehicle assigned to the Bacolod Traffic and Transport Management Department for allegedly counterflowing on a public road.

The LTO-NIR served a show cause order on the BTTMD as part of the administrative investigation.

The action stemmed from a photo circulating on social media that showed a vehicle with a government license plate and BTTMD markings allegedly traveling against the flow of traffic.

The LTO-NIR said discipline on the road begins with respect for the law and stressed that no one is above it.

“No position, office, or affiliation exempts anyone from accountability,” the LTO-NIR emphasized.

The agency said traffic laws apply equally to private motorists, public utility vehicle drivers, government employees, and government vehicles.

A BTTMD employee received the show cause order on July 24.

The order forms part of the LTO-NIR’s investigation to determine accountability and ensure that administrative procedures are followed.

The agency said it remains committed to enforcing road safety laws through due process, fairness, and impartiality.

The city government said Mayor Greg Gasataya’s office had been informed of the incident and had asked BTTMD officer-in-charge Reuben Mikhail Sabig to establish the facts of the case.

The employee involved was also issued a notice to explain the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The city’s initial investigation found that the employee was responding to an urgent request for assistance involving traffic congestion near a shopping mall on Araneta Street.

The congestion was reportedly caused by an ongoing road rehabilitation project.

Gasataya reminded city government employees, particularly BTTMD personnel, to set an example by following traffic regulations.

He said their conduct could affect the city government’s credibility.

The BTTMD is the city office responsible for managing traffic and enforcing local transportation rules in Bacolod.