The City Government, through its City Legal Office, has started issuing Certificates of Availment to traffic violators in Cagayan de Oro availing of the tax relief/condonation ordinance.

On December 14, 2022, City Mayor Rolando "Klarex" Uy met with three traffic violators and personally handed over their certificates of availment.

 

The traffic violators, for their part, expressed their gratitude to the city mayor for implementing the tax relief ordinance, saying that through the said ordinance, they don't need to spend even a single peso.

"Nagpasalamat kaayo ko ni mayor kay sa tinood lang, kadaghan na ko niduol sa RTA kay mohangyo ko anang akong violation tungod sa kadaghan, nga bisag community service lang pero wala gyud nila gi-accept kay dugay naman kay tong akong violation," Jerry Bagongon, a motorela driver since 1998, said.

 

Bagongon said he received his first and only traffic citation ticket in 1999.

"Karon kay giisip nako nga dako nga pinaskuhan gikan kang mayor nga ang akong violation nga P22,000, maskin piso wala gyud ko kabayad gumikan sa tabang ni mayor. Busa grabe pasalamat nako ni mayor," Bagongon said.

 

This sentiment was echoed by Danny Auguis, a jeepney driver since 2010, who was supposed to pay a total of P37,500 for his traffic violations, but instead did not spend a peso due to the tax relief ordinance.

"Ang iyang pasalig nga motabang siya, iya gyud gituman, gitabangan gyud niya. Mao na karon nga dako kaayo akong pasalamat kang mayor," Auguis said.

 

"Lisod kaayo ang panahon, dili gyud makabayad sa kantidad nga P25,000. Mao nang daghan gyud kaayong salamat ni Mayor Klarex sa iyang gihatag nga prebilihiyo sa mga driver," Ronald Dalagan, a multicab driver for 15 years, said.

Traffic citation ticket recipients can still avail of the tax relief/condonation.

 

According to the Roads and Traffic Administration (RTA), more than 2,000 traffic violators have already applied for the tax condonation. (JAS-CIO/Photos by Roel Felicitas-CIO)