Razon IDs for Cordi traders to stop mulcting

BY DEXTER A SEE

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Extortion activities of lawmen victimizing traders, mostly vegetable farmers on roads leading to Manila may soon be over after Philippine National Police chief Director General Avelino Razon Jr. issued them ID cards bearing his signature.

Hundreds of traders and truckers in the Cordillera were given volunteer ID cards bearing Razon’s mobile phone to serve as deterrent from illegal activities of law enforcers.

Extortion by law enforcers had been a major problem of traders and truckers delivering agricultural commodities, such as vegetables, from the provinces to Metro Manila.

Recently, Razon held a dialogue with traders and farmers nationwide at Camp
Crame to know their problems.

The PNP chief told them all complaints sent to his office through the volunteer identification cards would be given prompt response.

However, he said the ID card should not be used by traders and truckers as
protection when they commit violations of traffic rules and regulations, and should not use it for personal purposes.

Razon said delivery trucks with the government’s food-lane stickers should not be flagged down by law enforcers except if these vehicles grossly violate traffic rules.

Earlier, truckers and traders complained food-lane stickers were not being recognized by some law enforcers especially on major roads of the National Capital Region.

They said this hampered delivery of agricultural commodities promptly to the market.

The food-lane stickers are issued by concerned government agencies to legitimate truckers and traders to facilitate the delivery of farm products to the market.

These also exempt them from the truck ban and protect them from extortion.
Vegetable dealers said volunteer ID cards might be helpful in stopping rampant extortion activities done on the national road, particularly in Tarlac, by unscrupulous employees of the Land Transportation Office in Region III.

Trucks that are flagged down by the LTO employees are being pestered with numerous violations of the law.

To avoid delay, the drivers and helpers are forced to offer them bribes at least P300 so they would be allowed to proceed to their destination.

They said extortion done by some Manila policemen has been greatly reduced, but it was in the province of Tarlac where they were being intimidated and harassed so they would shell out money to the extortionists.