To curb extortion in ordinance violations in the locality, Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte encouraged her constituents to use the “Batas QC,” a mobile application compiling the city’s local measures so apprehended persons could understand the penalties and fines associated with their violation.
“I would tell all those who get apprehended for violations to ask the enforcers about the ordinance, their violation, and the right penalties. All our traffic enforcers, for instance, have the app installed on their phones so they can easily show the violation and how much needs to be paid,” Belmonte said.
She noted that since the amounts of the fines are clearly shown in the app, this can help combat extortion among ordinance enforcers in the city.
“All our residents in Quezon City can also download the app for free on their smartphones so they can check their violation. Kung tunay na may violation sila, huwag na po silang magpabiktima sa pangongotong,” Belmonte said.
She gave assurances the local government is serious in its campaign to rid the city of extortion activities.
“All our enforcers have IDs with names, so we welcome reports from citizens who are not given the right penalties. We have always been very strict with regards to that,” she added.
The vice mayor said law enforcers are also ordered to return their uniforms, IDs and other official paraphernalia to the city government to make sure these are not used for unauthorized activities.
Batas QC – the Philippines’ first mobile app on local ordinances – was launched by the Quezon City Council this month to spread awareness about the rules and penalties concerning local laws.
The app empowers citizens with information to reduce the high number of ordinance violations in the city. This, in turn, can mitigate congestion in jails and detention centers.
Batas QC is also geared towards educating city residents about ordinances concerning roads, transportation, garbage, health care, and other issues. It also features announcements and a search function that categorizes ordinances based on their topic.
The app, which is downloadable through the Google Playstore, can be used even when offline. Copies of the ordinance are also downloadable through the app.
