The Quezon City government, on orders of Mayor Herbert Bautista, has launched a crackdown on fixers at QC Hall to protect the interest of the taxpaying public, especially underprivileged city residents, who are easily enticed to entrust their needs to fixers.
The Mayor urged city residents to deal directly with the concerned QC Hall department or office when transacting business to avoid falling prey to unscrupulous individuals who promise to deliver faster service for a fee.
The city’s department of public order and safety, headed by former QCPD director Elmo San Diego, has intensified its monitoring efforts by deploying additional enforcers from the security and intelligence division inside the QC Hall compound, especially within the premises of the different income-generating offices, where transactions usually peak during the first quarter of the year.
To augment DPOS personnel, San Diego also recommended the assignment of uniformed policemen in the counter payment areas to deter illegal transactions.
The city government imposes a ban on fixers within the vicinity of government offices in QC as provided under Ordinance Number SP-1656, Series of 2005 approved by the city council on March 13, 2006 . The ordinance carries a penalty of P5,000 or one year of imprisonment, or both, at the discretion of the court, on violators.
The crackdown on fixers came following last week’s apprehension of a parking attendant, identified as Danilo Usi, who was caught red-handed while receiving the amount of P1,000 from a certain Noelito Salas, who acted as applicant for a new business permit.
Recovered from the possession of Usi, who was apprehended by a composite team from the QC Police District and the DPOS, were a signed business application form of Salas and the amount of P1,000, which came in different denominations.
A criminal case against Usi has already been filed by the police for violating the city’s ordinance against fixers. His case was referred to Prosecutor Mariesther Vedana. The court recommended a bail of P2,000 for Usi’s provisional liberty.
To date, DPOS head San Diego has recommended to the Mayor that an intensive attitude evaluation be conducted on Usi to establish if he had any other accomplice inside the business permits and licensing office.-30- Maureen Quinones, PAISO.
