Bacolod City Councilor Al Victor Espino has called for an investigation into allegations that traffic enforcers at the Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO) were receiving commissions from Metro Towing Services (MTS), a private partner of the BTAO. Espino expressed his support for the probe following claims from a former traffic enforcer and stated that the contract with MTS does not include any provisions for commissions.
Bacolod City Councilor Al Victor Espino, the chair of the City Council's transportation committee, has publicly voiced his support for a thorough investigation into allegations that traffic enforcers employed by the Bacolod Traffic Authority Office ( BTAO ) were engaged in receiving commissions from Metro Towing Services (MTS), a private entity partnered with the BTAO . Espino made these statements on January 22nd following claims brought forth by a former traffic enforcer.
He confirmed that he had already engaged in discussions with City Legal Officer Karol Joseph Chiu and expressed his firm backing for the probe into these alleged illegal activities. 'Let's wait and validate the allegation against our traffic enforcers,' Espino stated. He further emphasized that the contract signed between the city and MTS does not contain any provisions for the payment of commissions to traffic enforcers. It's important to note that in 2023, the city government partnered with MTS to implement and enforce the city's clamping and towing ordinance. A memorandum of agreement, authorizing MTS to provide towing services, was formally signed on November 3, 2023, by Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and Francis Desales, the owner of MTS. Espino clarified that the MTS contract is set to expire in December 2024, and the company has already submitted an application for renewal. 'We will review and assess their performance for the renewal of their memorandum of agreement with the city,' Espino said. City Ordinance 09-17-818 provides the framework and guidelines for accrediting privately owned towing companies operating within Bacolod. It also outlines the procedures for towing, clamping, and impounding vehicles in the city. Previously, Mayor Benitez had stated that fee collection falls under the responsibility of the city government, with the private towing company receiving 75% of the fees collected and the city retaining 25%. Fees for illegally parked vehicles vary depending on the duration and type of vehicle, ranging from P600 to P1,000 for clamping, P1,000 to P4,500 for towing, and P200 to P500 per day for impounding
BAOCOLOD CITY PHILIPPINES TRAFFIC ENFORCERS METRO TOWING SERVICES COMMISSIONS INVESTIGATION CITY COUNCILOR AL VICTOR ESPINO BTAO
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