THE allegedly counterflowing Bacolod City government vehicle. (LTO-NIR)
BACOLOD CITY – The Land Transportation Office-Negros Island Region (LTO-NIR) recently served a show-cause order (SCO) on the Office of the Bacolod Traffic and Transport Management Department (BTTMD) after an employee allegedly disregarded traffic regulations.
The administrative action stemmed from a photo circulating on social media showing a vehicle bearing a government license plate and displaying BTTMD markings allegedly counterflowing on a public road.
The LTO-NIR stressed that discipline on the road begins with respect for the law and that no one is above the law.
“No position, office, or affiliation exempts anyone from accountability,” the LTO-NIR said.
The agency said that traffic laws apply equally to everyone—private motorists, public utility drivers, government employees, and government vehicles alike.
The SCO was received by a BTTMD personnel on July 24 and the incident has reached the Office of Mayor Greg Gasataya.
The agency is investigating the incident to determine accountability and ensure that proper administrative procedures are observed.
Gasataya has asked BTTMD officer-in-charge Reuben Mikhail Sabig to provide facts of the case and the driver was issued a Notice to Explain to determine surrounding circumstances.
Initial investigation said the employee responded to an urgent call for assistance regarding traffic near a shopping mall on Araneta St. due to a road rehabilitation project.
Gasataya reminded city government employees, especially BTTMD personnel, to serve as an example in abiding traffic rules because this will have an impact on the city’s credibility.