Quezon City Councilor Winston Castelo is appealing to upscale subdivisions and military camps in the city, especially along Epifanio delos Santos Avenue, to open their gates to serve as access roads and alternative routes for private car owners and small public utility vehicles to ease the “tremendous and enormous” traffic congestion in Metro Manila.
He called on the residents of the Corinthian Garden, White Plains and Green Meadows villages to allow to motorists, private and public commuters to pass through their areas to serve as an alternative route only during rush hours.
He also urged the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police to open their gates at Camp Aguinaldo and Camp Crame, respectively.
Meanwhile, in accordance with President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte has ordered the closure of all Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office gaming activities, including lotto and small town lottery.
She instructed Chief Supt. Joselito Esquivel Jr., Quezon City Police District director, to ensure the President’s order to shut down all PCSO-sponsored games of chance is followed to the letter.
Belmonte also directed the QCPD to ensure that such establishments would be remained closed until the President decides on their fate with finality.
The President ordered the closure of all gaming schemes managed by the PCSO due to massive corruption.
Esquivel directed all of his station commanders to take positive police action to comply with Duterte’s directive.
On the traffic issue, Castelo said: “We urged private subdivisions along the stretch of Edsa to open up their gates for public use so that they could help ease down the heavy traffic along EDSA special during rush hour. This includes Camp Crame and Camp Aguinaldo.”
The councilor assured the residents of the posh subdivisions there are ways and methods to safeguard their privacy, “this is by means of regulating the opening of their gates done only during peak hours so as not to jeopardize their safety.”
He asked the government to provide security personnel deployed in these private subdivisions to protect the residents and avert any untoward circumstances that may occur in the event that their gates were already open for public use.
As for Camp Crame and Camp Aguinaldo, the former QC congressman said: “It’s the mandate of these military camps to serve and protect the public by means of relieving them from traffic woes and opening their gates will only be implemented during peak hours.”
“The rich should open their properties to the suffering commuters. But I would state it clear that I don’t intend to jeopardize the security of these private subdivisions, because there are ways to safe guard their security and institute measures that will also secure their privacy,” he noted.
Castelo backed President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to reclaim all public roads that were being used for private purposes to ensure public roads remain accessible to the public, and the proposal of to find new solutions to reduce the traffic problem in the metro.
