Lawyers to join MMDA clearing operations

The MMDA wants to add some legal muscle to its clearing teams by assigning lawyers to accompany them. —LYN RILLON

To ensure that its personnel stand on sound legal ground, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is planning to have lawyers accompany its road and waterway clearing operations teams.

During the agency’s Sunday radio program, MMDA supervisor for operations Bong Nebrija said that the agency was looking at assigning lawyers to join its clearing activities not only to prevent instances of their personnel being disrespected but to also ensure that erring residents were properly informed of their violation.

According to Nebrija, MMDA officer in charge and general manager Tim Orbos recognized that because of the agency’s continuous road and waterway clearing operations, their personnel would often come into contact with people who boasted of their supposed connection to government or police officials.

He also said that in their previous operations, they also encountered individuals who shouted at their personnel or insisted on their own interpretation of the law or an MMDA regulation.

With lawyers present to explain what violations were being committed or answer questions about the regulations authorizing the agency to conduct clearing operations, the MMDA hopes that confrontations between its personnel and errant residents or motorists would be reduced.

At present though, the MMDA has only seven lawyers in its legal department. This prompted Orbos to make a recent appeal for volunteer lawyers as the agency intensifies its campaign on ensuring that Metro roads remain free of obstructions while waterways are clear of garbage.

According to Orbos, having volunteer lawyers will be a big boost to a key aspect of the MMDA’s campaign which is to hold liable barangay officials who fail to maintain the cleanliness of roads or esteros earlier cleared by the agency’s personnel.

“We encourage all lawyers to help us in our fight against negligent barangay officials. We cannot do it alone as we lack manpower and resources,” he said.

Orbos said that aside from going after negligent barangay officials, the volunteer lawyers would also be tasked to handle cases against business establishments which allow their customers to leave their vehicles in no-parking zones, thus leading to heavy traffic in these areas.