LINGAYEN–Road barriers unduly placed in front of schools are back, prompting Governor Amado Espino  Jr. anew to order the immediate removal of these vehicular traffic hazards.

Espino first issued an order to the provincial police and barangay officials for the removal of the barriers in February when the matter was raised during a meeting of the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC), which Espino chairs.

The order was largely ignored by the barangay officials and local police and this was relayed to the local media by Regional Trial Court Judge Ulysses Raciles Butuyan of Branch 52 in Tayug who confirmed that the situation has not changed.

Butuyan maintained that the road barriers, put up by barangay tanods in front of schools, are a violation of the law and must be immediately removed by the Department of Public Works and Highways.

The report irked the governor and issued a stern warning to all police chiefs that he will hold them accountable if the barriers are not removed.

Espino directed Police Provincial Director Percival Barba to disseminate his order to all the police chiefs.

The governor confirmed the judge’s observation and cited this recent trip to Manila on Wednesday when he saw a number of road barriers installed in front of schools even when the school children were already inside their classrooms.

He said the road barriers are useful to protect and keep the children safe but these must be set up only on scheduled hours, i.e.,  when students are arriving for their regular class hours or leaving their school.—LM

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