Ben Madilynn
“The transport groups can hold their protest rally at the Bacolod public plaza, the city’s freedom park, and not at the Old City Hall Foundation of Justice.”
This was stressed by City Legal Officer Romeo Carlos Ting, Jr. on Monday, September 23, after one of the leaders of the transport groups in Bacolod earlier announced that they would hold a protest rally at the Old City Hall Foundation of Justice since the city allegedly refused to issue them a permit.
Ting said he doesn’t know when the groups process their permit at the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC).
He said City Ordinance (CO) No. 11 or an ordinance designating the public plaza as a freedom park, stated that the organizers and leaders of rallies and demonstrations shall coordinate with the Office of the City Mayor for purposes of schedule.
Consistent therewith, such organizers and leaders are enjoined to notify the Office of the City Mayor at least three days before their projected rallies and demonstrations, the ordinance further station.
Rudy Catedral, president of Bacolod Alliance of Commuters Operators and Drivers Inc. (BACOD)-Manibela, earlier said it was their initial plan to hold the transport strike here on September 23 and 24, however, the Permits and Licensing Division failed to issue them a permit.
“We applied for a permit on Friday, September 20, but they rejected our application. They told us that we must secure a permit three days before the conduct of the rally, but now they refused to issue a permit,” he said.
He added the police also told them that they could hold a rally at the Old City Hall Foundation of Justice even they don’t have a permit because it’s a freedom park area.
Catedral noted that they are still finalizing the dates of their transport strike that will be held this week.
” If they don’t have a permit, they can hold a rally at the public plaza because it was stated on the city’s approved ordinance,” Ting said.
He said the protest rally should be held inside the public plaza and not on the road or at the Old City Hall Foundation of Justice.
” If they insisted on rallying at the Old City Hall Foundation of Justice, they will be arrested,” he added. /MAP.
