Pepito: Clamping of City Hall execs’ vehicles caused by communication gap

Local

CEBU City Councilor Winston Pepito blamed a communication gap between the executive and legislative branches of City Hall for the clamping of councilors’ vehicles.

He said the incident unfairly cast councilors as “rule violators.”

In a press conference on Friday, Jan. 16, Pepito said he spoke out only after the issue escalated publicly and risked misleading the public into thinking councilors deliberately violated parking rules.

Pepito said the controversy stemmed from the mayor’s failure to mention in a social media post that city councilors had been instructed they were allowed to park in a designated area near City Hall while their regular parking spaces were unavailable.

“Ang huna-huna sa mga tawo kay nagpataka lang mi’g parking, nga ang tinuod igo ra mi nituman sa instruction sa among labaw,” Pepito said.

He stressed that the issue did not involve him alone but the entire City Council, noting that several councilors’ vehicles were clamped and that only he and Councilor Alvin Arcilla appeared in a viral video.

Pepito said the incident exposed what he described as a breakdown in coordination, possible “power play,” and internal discord at City Hall.

“Di na ta kabalo asa ta maminaw ug asa pud motuo,” he said, adding that he did not want to be dragged into internal conflict and only wanted to continue serving the public.

The councilor said they have since received vehicle passes for use during Sinulog, but uncertainty remains over whether the passes are sufficient to prevent similar incidents.

“Maski naa na mi vehicle pass, kuyawan gihapon mi mogamit kay di mi sure kung valid ba gyud,” he said.

Pepito said he had no issue with the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO), stressing that personnel were merely doing their jobs. His concern, he said, was that councilors should not be blamed for following instructions issued by authorities.

He acknowledged Mayor Nestor Archival’s clarification that car stickers are vehicle passes and not parking permits but said what was missing from the mayor’s post was the context that councilors had been given clear instructions allowing them to park in the area due to Sinulog-related adjustments.

Pepito said the area in question had been closed to public vehicles and, based on his understanding, was reserved for emergency, security, and City Council vehicles. He added that even CCTO head Raquel Arce acknowledged in a post that councilors were allowed to park there, subject to enforcement if vehicles were not recognized.

“If the enforcer does not recognize the vehicle as belonging to a councilor, it will be clamped,” Arce had said.

Pepito also cited a message from the Office of the Vice Mayor informing councilors that their designated temporary parking area during the Fiesta Señor novena was along Jakosalem Street near the Yutivo side of City Hall, as their regular parking area was being used by devotees attending Masses.

The text message, dated Jan. 15, instructed councilors to affix vehicle passes for visibility and said the area was intended for councilors’ use, with the pass also valid for drop-off if the space was full.

Pepito said the area was closed to the public, screened by CCTO personnel, and assisted by traffic enforcers, reinforcing the belief that parking there was allowed.

“Mura’g giingnan ang bata nga didto lingkod, unya paglingkod didto, silutan,” Pepito said.

He said councilors would not have parked there had they not been told it was allowed and added that the issue could have been resolved early if authorities had simply acknowledged a lapse in communication.

“To be honest, naa gyud mi communication gap diri sa City Hall,” Pepito said, calling for better coordination between the executive and legislative branches.

He said meaningful dialogue was necessary, stressing that governance requires synchronization between the mayor’s office and the City Council.

“Walay mahimo ang Executive kung wala ang Legislative, ug walay kapuslanan ang Legislative kung walay suporta sa Executive,” Pepito said.

The clamping incident occurred on Jan. 13, when vehicles owned by Pepito and Councilor Harry Eran were clamped inside the City Hall compound. The issue later escalated online after Councilor Jun Alcover publicly criticized CCTO chief Raquel Arce over the enforcement.(TGP)