City Police director, Sr. Supt. Alexander Tagum, vowed to resign if he could not implement Mayor Sara Duterte’s directive on drunk and unsafe driving involving motorcycles.
In this regard, more than 180 PNP personnel from the Davao City Police Office deputized by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) were deployed yesterday as part of the intensified campaign against drunk driving and other traffic violations.
They were also pinned with “No to Kotong” and “No to Unsafe Driving” badges led by Davao City Police Office director, Sr. Supt. Tagum, at the Camp Domingo Leonor parade grounds during the launching yesterday.
Tagum explained that they already started implementing the order of Mayor Sara Duterte to strictly enforce the no helmet, no riding policy, as well as the driving under the influence, following what happened last December when a family of three was killed in a road collision.
The couple and their five-year-old daughter were not wearing helmets when their motorcycle slammed into a truck in Calinan District.
“I have warned my people if there will be riders that will die again then I will definitely relieve them,” he added.
Tagum also promised that if they cannot bring order on the roads, “I will resign because of the shame that I could not perform the order of the mayor.
“It is a warning to our residents and guests in the city to please avoid driving if you plan to drink. Look for a driver, and for your information, we will implement 24/7 our campaign against unsafe driving and riding in the city including those motorcycle drivers in Tibungco, Toril and Bunawan who are not wearing helmets,” the city police office director said.
The deputized personnel completed the two-day basic traffic law enforcement training conducted by the LTO.
In an interview yesterday, Tagum said the traffic police and other deputized personnel of the 12 police precincts, along with the City Mobile Force Company, will be deployed in all strategic areas.
Currently there are four existing breathe analyzers at the traffic group and 12 in the police precincts. He also warned police officers against mulcting motorists in exchange for letting them go.
In a separate interview, Benito De Leon, the chief of the Public Safety and Security (PSSCC), yesterday said that they haven’t received any report regarding kotong (mulcting) cops. But he acknowledged that the temptation is there for any enforcer, especially with the prospect of easy money.
Meanwhile, he revealed that the city government is planning to purchase more breath analyzers in support of the PNP campaign to for safe streets.
