ANGELES CITY — Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin Jr. has deployed nightshift traffic enforcers to contain vehicular accidents involving driving under influence (DUI).
Initially, the city government will deploy 14 additional enforcers, with a shift starting from 7PM to 3AM the next morning, to closely monitor the situation in the city during nighttime to prevent accidents.
“This initiative is to protect the lives of everyone. Life is so precious to just waste it from reckless acts,” Lazatin said.
This is also in line with the strict compliance of traffic rules and regulations, as the number of drunk-driving accidents in Angeles City is increasing.
Records from the Angeles City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, headed by Rodolfo Simeon, show the ACDRRMO responded to 321 accidents of drunk driving in the city since November 2022 to May 24, 2023, where 319 were rushed to the hospital for further treatment while 2 was dead on arrival.
Mayor Lazatin continues to instruct Simeon to deploy ambulances in four strategic places to limit the response time of 10-15 minutes maximum to save lives.
Meanwhile, the Angeles City Emergency Disaster Command Center, headed by Michael Lising, continues to keep an eye in the city 24/7 to monitor traffic and emergency response.
Lazatin said the city aims to not just decrease road accidents but to totally avoid it.
Lazatin is also reminding Angeleños, as well as motorists and drivers from other areas plying the city’s roads, to stop drinking and driving, pushing for a sobriety field test, or a test used in the field to determine if a person suspected of impaired driving is intoxicated with alcohol or other drugs.
With this, the city government and the LTO will strictly work hand-in-hand for the implementation of the existing guidelines for the apprehension of driving under the influence of alcohol.
According to Angeles City Traffic Development Officer-in-Charge Francis Pangilinan, all the additional traffic enforcers underwent trainings and seminar before they can be deployed.
The newly-hired traffic enforcers took Basic Traffic Management Seminar and studied thoroughly the Angeles City Traffic Code.
Meanwhile, Lazatin is also requesting the LTO to train city police officers and traffic enforcers from the ACTDO for the standardized field sobriety tests, and that of its policy in undertaking this.
In addition, nine traffic personnel are currently deputized by the LTO.
Pursuant to Republic Act (RA) 10586 or the Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act, anyone caught driving under the influence may be meted with imprisonment, and/or fines of up to PHP500,000, depending on the gravity of the accident.