CCTO insists: Nothing wrong with clamping of City Hall execs’ vehicles

Local

THE Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) has defended the clamping of vehicles owned by city councilors along D. Jakosalem Street during Sinulog week.

The agency said the action followed standard procedure and stemmed from miscommunication that was later amplified by a viral video.

In an official statement released on Saturday, Jan. 17, CCTO department head Raquel Arce said the Traffic Enforcement and Operations Division (TEOD) conducted a clearing operation on Jan. 13 after receiving a complaint from the Sinulog 2026 Multi-Agency Coordination Center (MACC) about unauthorized vehicles parked in a designated No Parking Zone.

Arce said several vehicles found in the area were privately owned, unattended, and unmarked.

While some bore Sinulog 2026 stickers, no drivers were present to verify ownership at the time of inspection.

“As part of standard procedure, clamp boots were attached but not locked, and no citation tickets were issued,” Arce said.

She stressed that the immobilization process had not been completed.

She said enforcement was immediately halted after Cebu City Councilors Alvin Arcilla and Winston Pepito arrived on site and identified the vehicles as theirs. The clamp boots were removed and no further action was taken.

However, Arce said these developments were not reflected in videos that circulated online, which she said led to public misunderstanding.

“Parking privileges apply only to properly identified vehicles. Without visible identification and with vehicles left unattended, our personnel had no way to confirm ownership,” Arce said.

“There was no intent to offend anyone. We were responding to an official complaint and enforcing the law.”

The clamping incident sparked a public dispute that spilled onto social media during Sinulog week, pitting city councilors against traffic officials and drawing in Mayor Nestor Archival.

Pepito, whose vehicle was among those clamped, said the incident itself was “not a big deal” but became controversial due to what he described as a serious communication gap within City Hall.

Pepito addressed the issue in a press conference on Friday, Jan. 16, after online posts suggested that councilors had illegally parked during Sinulog-related activities.

“Nitingog lang ko aning issue sa parking kay wala man gi-mention sa atong Mayor sa iyang post nga pwede kami mga City Councilors maka-parking didto,” Pepito said, explaining that the omission led the public to believe councilors parked on their own initiative.

He stressed that the issue involved several members of the City Council, not just him, although only his and Arcilla’s vehicles appeared in viral videos.

Pepito said councilors were instructed by the Office of the Vice Mayor to temporarily park along a road beside City Hall, as their usual parking area near the Legislative Building was occupied by devotees attending the Santo Niño novena.

He said the area was closed to public vehicles, monitored by CCTO personnel, and occupied by government vehicles—factors that reinforced their belief that parking there was allowed.

“This issue showed a communication gap, power play, or what others may call infighting here in City Hall,” Pepito said, adding that conflicting directives left officials uncertain which authority to follow.

Despite the controversy, Pepito said he harbored no grievance against CCTO enforcers, noting that they were merely doing their job. He said councilors should not be blamed for complying with official instructions.

The dispute escalated further on Jan. 14 when Councilor Jun Alcover criticized Arce in a Facebook Live broadcast, accusing her of arrogance and questioning the clamping of councilors’ vehicles despite instructions from the Vice Mayor’s Office.

“So unsay sala namo? Nga nisunod ra mi sa advice sa Vice Mayor nga naa mi’y pass,” Alcover said, insisting the area was designated for councilors and accessible only to vehicles with official passes.

Arce countered that the stickers issued were vehicle passes for entry and exit—not parking permits—and that the area was reserved for emergency vehicles. She said enforcers acted after police vehicles were unable to park due to congestion.

“If the enforcer does not recognize the vehicle as belonging to a councilor, it will be clamped,” Arce said, maintaining that the enforcement was proper.

Archival weighed in on the issue, urging restraint among public officials, particularly on social media, and backing the CCTO’s explanation. He stressed that not all issues should be aired publicly without proper coordination and verification.

“As public officials, responsibilidad nato nga ma-ampingon, patas, ug responsable, labi na sa social media,” Archival said.

Pepito said the controversy could have been avoided had authorities simply acknowledged lapses in coordination.

“Kung naay niingon nga naay gamay lapses sa communication, wala na unta ni nga issue,” he said.

He warned that the incident reflects deeper coordination problems between the executive and legislative branches of the city government.(TGP)