The death of a 14-year-old skater in a road crash has pushed Cebu City to tighten traffic enforcement and revisit how authorities protect minors exposed to danger on public roads.
Mayor Nestor Archival said City Hall will push stricter implementation of traffic rules following a string of collisions, including a recent jeepney crash in downtown Cebu that injured several passengers.
“I was actually talking to CCPO, and we will have stricter implementation regarding that. We will push very hard the implementation of our ‘safer city’ initiative, we will make this happen,” Archival said.
He said the city has begun reviewing incident reports to better understand recurring road safety lapses and identify gaps in enforcement.
Archival also raised concerns about the limits of government intervention when minors face risky situations.
He stressed that responsibility still rests primarily with parents.
“The principle is that the government can take over if parents no longer show concern. But to what extent can we intervene in the lives of children to pull them out of these situations?” he said.
He added that authorities have yet to reach a point where the city must step in directly to discipline minors, noting that most families remain actively involved.
“We are not looking at a situation where the city will discipline the children. But if parents can no longer manage, that’s a good suggestion, we will take that into consideration,” he said.
Local officials said they will also revisit driver training, road courtesy, and enforcement policies as part of ongoing discussions with the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO).
City Legal Officer Dwigth Remedio, speaking on legal mechanisms involving minors, said the judiciary already provides avenues for intervention through specialized courts.
“As of present, we already have designated Family Courts that cater to parents and children. These are specialized courts for family, women, and children, and they are already active,” he said.
He added that local government units with Regional Trial Courts maintain these family courts to handle cases involving minors and domestic concerns.
Authorities have scheduled a meeting on Thursday to tackle road discipline, driver behavior, and policy enforcement.
“Some drivers lack discipline. We will go back to that, this will form part of the discussion. There are suggestions to return to training, especially on road courtesy and driving policies,” the official said.
The renewed push for stricter enforcement follows the death of a 14-year-old boy who was struck by a modern jeepney near the Archbishop Reyes Avenue flyover in Barangay Luz on April 30.
The victim, a resident of Barangay Guadalupe, had been walking home with friends after a basketball game when a fast-moving jeepney hit him. He later died at the Cebu City Medical Center.
The driver, now in police custody, claimed he did not immediately realize he had struck someone. But the victim’s mother, Cathyrine Regis, cited accounts from her son’s friends that the vehicle did not stop after the impact.
She also alleged that the jeepney conductor urged them to flee.
“Ang konduktor kay grabe kaayo kay niingon gyud og ‘dagan ta,’ maayong gani kay naay taxi nga mibabag sa jeep,” she said.
Police have recommended the suspension of the driver’s license and are preparing charges for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide.
The incident came days after a separate collision involving two traditional jeepneys at the junction of D. Jakosalem and V. Gullas streets, where multiple passengers sustained injuries after one vehicle overturned.
Archival said these incidents highlight persistent risks on Cebu’s roads and stressed the need for stricter enforcement, improved driver discipline, and stronger safeguards for vulnerable road users, especially minors. (LLP)
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