Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada has assured the public that there are enough traffic enforcers to man the traffic situation and maintain peace and order in major roads of the capital on Christmas Day.
Estrada said 80 newly trained traffic enforcers of the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau (MTPB) will be stationed in the city’s “high-density shopping districts” like Divisoria, Binondo, and Quiapo.
“It’s a common thought na kapag Christmas, sobrang traffic, marami ang tao, inaasahan na natin ‘yan. Kaya tutumbasan natin ‘to ng mga pulis, at traffic enforcers na magbabantay sa seguridad at magko-kontrol sa trapiko,” Estrada said in a statement on Friday.
(It’s a common thought that on Christmas, traffic is heavier and more people are on the streets, and we expect that. That’s why we will deploy more cops and traffic enforcers who will be in charge of security and control the flow of traffic.)
Estrada said the 80 MTPB enforcers will start reporting for duty on Friday after completing a 15-day training.
The training came after Estrada ordered in November the termination of all 690 MTPB traffic personnel due to complaints of alleged extortion and other corrupt activities. The mayor said the first batch of 92 trainees, eight of whom are new recruits, will fill up the slots vacated by MTPB enforcers.
READ: Erap sacks all Manila traffic enforcers for extortion
MTPB chief Dennis Alcoreza said only about 200 more traffic enforcers will be rehired from the original 690.
“Hindi na tayo kukuha ng ganu’n kadaming enforcers, mga 300 lang basta matitino at may augmentation ng pulis, okay na,” Alcoreza said.
(We will no longer hire that many enforces; 300 are fine as long as they are untainted and there is augmentation from the police.) IDL