DAVAO CITY — Many national highway in secluded towns of Mindanao are used as a drier, display booth and in many cases playground for different domestic and even farm animals.
But the Mayor of Datu Montawal, Maguindanao wants to fix this mess. Last week Mayor Ohto Montawal ordered the local police to seize stray farm animals that pose threats to motorists.
Montawal’s order followed after receiving complaints about the presence of stray carabaos, cows, and goats along portions of the Cotabato-Davao highway which has been cited as reasons for various road accidents.
The municipal government also banned farmers from using the highway as driers for palay, corn grains and coffee saying “The road is not a solar drier.”
In some municipalities the highways even earned the monicker “the most expensive and longest solar drier.”
Montawal ordered that all seized animals along the highway will be hauled to the municipal veterinary office and the same will be turned over to the owners after paying the corresponding fees.
But Montawal emphasized “If an accident occurred due to stray animals, the owners will be penalized accordingly. Owners will have to settle with the mishap victims for remuneration and medication, when necessary.”
The order affects all the 20-km highway along the Datu montawal town.
Montawal was with Vice Mayor Datu Mac K Montawal, ABC Nestor Salama and other Sangguniang Bayanmembers when he cleared the highways last week.
The barangays affected by the clearning operations include Barangay Tunggol, Barangay Pagagawan, and Barangay Bulit which are along the highways of the town.
Montawal said he is giving flesh to the order of President Rodrigo Duterte to clear the national highways to ensure the smooth flow of traffic and for the safety of the motorists.-ezc/NewsLine.ph
