Rift over vehicle clamping continues

The rift among Cebu City officials over the controversy surrounding clamping measures has further escalated following a statement by Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival, in which he urged fellow public officials to exercise restraint and responsibility in their use of social media.

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The incident occurred on January 13, 2026, when the private vehicles of Councilor Winston Pepito and Councilor Harry Eran were clamped by personnel of the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO).

Pepito, who chairs the City Council's Committee on Transportation and sits on the Traffic Management Council, had displayed a car pass sticker on his vehicle.

The incident fell on a Tuesday, which is the City Council's regular session day, although that particular session was conducted online. The CCTO clarified that the sticker was valid only for drop-off and pickup purposes and not for parking.

Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover then lamented that the enforcement was applied to multiple officials. CCTO head Raquel Arce defended the action, citing the need for consistent implementation of traffic rules, especially during the congested period of the Fiesta Señor novena.