Tens of thousands of Davao residents gather for the Guinness World Record attempt and to support Presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte last May 7 at the Crocodile Park. The event caused heavy traffic in the city for hours. On June 4, the City Transportation and Traffic Management Office is again expecting heavy traffic for Duterte’s Thanksgiving party. (Ace R. Morandante/davaotoday.com)
DAVAO CITY — At least 150 traffic personnel will be deployed in the upcoming thanksgiving party of incoming President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday, June 4 at the Davao Crocodile Park, this city.
City Transportation and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) Chief Rodelio Poliquit announced on Wednesday, May 25 that traffic personnel will do more on manpower since there is no access road near the venue.
Poliquit said no re-routing of vehicles will be implemented because such scheme will need the approval of the the City Council. He said that vehicles passing in the Diversion road should expect that the “travel speed will go down and travel time will go up” during the event.
Apart from the traffic personnel, Poliquit said that five mobile cars and two towing cars will also be deployed in key areas as part of the plan. Truck ban would not be implemented since it is a weekend, he said.
“So we will have a stop and go situation to regulate the traffic because if we divert the vehicles to the central district then we will just transfer the problem in the central district,” he said.
The CTTMO also designated a loading bay and parking space for those who will attend the event. Poliquit said North bound vehicles will ply the Lanang route while South bound vehicles will use the Ulas route.
“We will also tap the 911 and Philippine Navy for emergency on the water route,” Poliquit said. However, he stressed that attendees are prohibited to use the water route as an entrance to the venue.
DCPO spokesperson Chief Inspector Milgrace Cajes Driz said that the Philippine National Police would also deploy more or less 2,000 police officers as augmentation force to secure the venue.
“We will also help the traffic congestions and the parking areas in the venue,” Driz said. She said that police officers would also check all the containers to regulate liquors inside the venue.
“There will be available liquors inside the venue but it will be regulated,” Driz said, adding that deadly weapons, firearms and backpacks, among others, will be prohibited inside the venue.
Meanwhile, Police Regional Office (PRO)-Davao spokesperson Chief Inspector Andrea dela Cerna said that election gun ban is still in effect and will end on June 8. She said that 189 firearms and 109 deadly weapons confiscated and 263 person arrested since the ban had been implemented. (davaotoday.com)
