Councilor Jun Alcover and Mayor Nestor Archival exchanged pointed remarks online following the clamping of councilors’ vehicles, an incident that exposed coordination gaps within Cebu City Hall.
The online exchange stemmed from the January 13 clamping of vehicles owned by Councilors Winston Pepito and Harry Eran inside the City Hall compound.
In a strongly worded Facebook post on Thursday, Alcover criticized the city administration for what he described as poor coordination, questioning why councilors were penalized without a written directive from the mayor’s office.
Alcover said councilors were advised, through the Vice Mayor’s Office, to park on the Yutivo side of City Hall after their regular parking slots near the Legislative Building were rendered unavailable due to Fiesta Señor–related activities.
“Walay written memo nga dili diay mi ka-parking sa Yutivo side,” Alcover wrote, adding that no formal advisory was issued before the clamping.
He maintained that, in the absence of any written instruction from the mayor’s office, councilors simply followed the guidance relayed by the Vice Mayor’s Office, which he said oversees parking arrangements for council members.
Alcover’s post came after Mayor Archival earlier shared a statement on Friday urging public officials to exercise caution and responsibility when airing concerns on social media.
“As mayor and former councilor, I believe that public service also means being careful and responsible with what we post online,” Archival said in Cebuano.
The mayor warned that reacting publicly without first verifying facts could confuse the public and spread misinformation, stressing that not all concerns should immediately be taken to social media.
Addressing the clamping incident involving Pepito’s vehicle, Archival said the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) had already explained that the sticker issued by the mayor’s office was a vehicle pass meant for entry, drop-off, and pick-up—not a parking permit.
“It is important to listen first to the concerned office before giving opinions,” Archival said, reminding public officials that their words “carry weight.”
He called for coordination, respect for process, and clear communication, concluding: “Serbisyo publiko ni, dili drama.”
The dispute traces back to January 13, when vehicles owned by Pepito and Eran were clamped at around 4 p.m. after being parked in an area they believed had been temporarily designated for councilors while Fiesta Señor activities displaced their regular parking spaces.
Pepito earlier said councilors were advised to use the area and that the incident appeared to be the result of miscommunication.
He said traffic enforcers were informed that the vehicles belonged to councilors but proceeded with the clamping, telling them the matter should be raised with CCTO chief Raquel Arce.
Arce, however, stood by the enforcement action, saying the clamping was carried out in accordance with existing rules.
“Dili ni palpak. Gi-clamp gyud,” Arce said, explaining that the stickers allowed vehicles to enter the City Hall compound but did not authorize parking in restricted areas.
She said the space where the vehicles were parked was reserved for emergency vehicles, and enforcement was triggered after police units were unable to find parking due to congestion.
A subsequent review showed that several vehicles, including privately owned vehicles of officials, were parked in the restricted zone.
“If the enforcer does not recognize the vehicle as belonging to a councilor, it will be clamped,” Arce said, adding that personnel avoid confrontation and simply enforce regulations.
She said one councilor initially accepted the explanation, but the issue escalated after another raised objections publicly.
Calling for understanding, Arce noted that parking arrangements during the religious activities were temporary and far from ideal.
“Dili ni normal situation,” she said, adding that the emergency vehicle area could not accommodate all official vehicles throughout the day.
Arce suggested staggered parking as a possible solution and reiterated that the CCTO acted within its mandate. (LLP)
