A Dabawenyo who recently went viral, after a video of him and several others committing traffic violations at the Esplanade on the Davao City Coastal Road came out on social media, surrendered to the Baliok Police Station on Tuesday.
Police Major Jonnel L. Bonguyan, Acting Station Commander of Baliok Police Station, said in an interview with the City Information Office (CIO) that after the video showing a group of people on board their individual vehicles committing traffic violations along the Coastal Road went viral, their precinct – in cooperation with the Traffic Enforcement Unit [TEU] – conducted an investigation to identify the people involved.
“Atoang mga kapulisan in fact nag adto sa balay nila, pero nagvolunteer si sir diri nianhi gyud diria so mao ning karon naistoryahan namo sya unsa iyang mga sala nacommit niya, aminado man pud si sir nga naa gyu’d siyay pagkukulang ug pagkakamali [Our policemen went to the houses of the people involved, and he (one of the violators) went to our station so we talked to him about his violations, which he had admitted to],” he said.
According to Bonguyan, the group of people in the video violated a provision of R.A. 4136-Disregarding Traffic Signs and is considered reckless driving – after they disregarded the no left turn policy in the area. One of the vehicles involved also has illegally attached blinkers and horn, which is a violation of P.D. 96.
The violator apologized to the public and to the city mayor following admission of the traffic violations he committed.
“Karon nagapangayo ko’g pasaylo sa tanan, sa mga Dabawenyo labaw na kay Mayor Baste, then kato na mao pud siya makuan kay nahitabo naman mahimo na siya’g lesson learned nalang pud para sa uban na dili gyud to buhaton na mali gyud kay parehas sa akoa saksi ko sa akoang sarili na unsa ang consequence sa buhaton so kato aminado ko nga mali nako pasensya na gyud kaayo dili na mausab [Right now, I am apologizing to the Dabawenyos, especially to Mayor Baste; since it already happened, let this be a lesson learned for others to not commit the same violations I did, and now I have dealt with the consequences, I admit that I was wrong, so I’m sorry and rest assured that it won’t happen again],” he said.
The violator also denied his connection with the other parties involved in the incident.
Bonguyan said that since the violator has no running violations, they couldn’t issue a citation ticket. However, the Baliok Police Station, in coordination with the TEU, is planning to send a letter to the Land Transportation Office.
“Ang gibuhat nato with the effort sa collaboration nato sa TEU maghatag mi ug sulat sa LTO, ang LTO na ang maghatag og sanction kung irevoke ba ang driver’s license niya or i-suspended ba siya [In collaboration with the TEU, we will send a letter to the LTO and it will be up to it whether it will revoke his license or suspend it],” he said.
Bonguyan also urged Dabawenyos to abide by the city’s traffic rules and regulations, and not put the life of others at risk. CIO
