TASK Force Hapsay Dalan chairperson lawyer Edgardo Uy said over the weekend that he may be forced to testify against councilor Zaldy Ocon if the traffic enforcer allegedly slapped by Ocon decided to press charges.
Not to be outdone, Ocon said he is contemplating on recommending to boot out Uy as overseer of the Roads and Traffic Administration (RTA) due to the worsening traffic woes in the city.
But Uy said he welcomes the plan to relieve him.
"Walay problema. Kung naa siya'y ikapuli nako mohawa ko. Nailhan ta naman na siya. Ingon ana gayud iyang style (No problem. If he has someone who can replace me, then I will resign. We already know him. That’s his style)," Uy said.
Uy, who also chairs the Task Force Hapsay Dalan (TFHD), said Ocon is only trying to divert attention from the real issue.
Uy said he only spoke out, insisting that Ocon, as a public official, should not have resorted to violence in dealing with traffic enforcer Ric Emmanuel Agustin’s allegations.
"Obvious man nga mao gayud iyang tuyo aron ma-divert ang issue. Ang tuyo ato (ni Agustin) nga magka-istorya aron mahuman, nanagpa na man hinoon siya unya ako iyang kontrahon (It’s obvious, he wants to divert the issue. Agustin’s purpose is to talk with him to settle [the conflict], but turned out to slapping him [Agustin] then hate me)," Uy added.
Uy maintains that Ocon indeed slapped traffic enforcer Ric Emmanuel Agustin inside the City Council’s session hall on Thursday, December 1.
He said people at the gallery, who were at the session hall to attend the 2017 budget deliberation of the council, witnessed the incident.
Aside from Uy, Roads and Traffic Administration chief Nonito Oclarit had also accompanied Agustin to the session hall to clarify a supposed traffic violation committed by Ocon at the Yacapin-Guillermo Streets earlier that day.
Local radio reports said Ocon did not deny nor confirmed the slapping incident.
At a Bombo Radyo interview, Ocon, said he only pushed Agustin and did not slap him.
Ocon had claimed that it was not the citation ticket for the traffic violation that angered him but the supposed arrogance and discourtesy of Agustin when the latter approached him.
Ocon, said the RTA has a number of traffic law enforcers who are lacking in discipline and training in traffic management which often lead to unresolved traffic problems.
Uy had earlier said Ocon may be liable for slander by deed and abuse of authority.
