Cotabato City Mayor-elect Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi (Photo courtesy of Cotabato CIO)
COTABATO CITY – Mayor-elect Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi has vowed to continue her "iron fist policy" against lawbreakers, as she resumed her nightly "ronda" (night watch) Tuesday evening.
Sayadi said the days of “abusive” individuals are numbered. At past 1 a.m. Tuesday, she led the nightly police and military patrol around the city to implement local ordinances, especially the curfew hours for minors from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.
It was the first night patrol Sayadi had led since the campaign period for local candidates started on March 28.
The operation resulted in the arrest of 15 violators, who thought that the curfew was no longer in effect because they have been violating it since March 28.
Seven motorcycles with open-pipe mufflers that produces ear-shattering sounds were confiscated and two suspected drug users with shabu paraphernalia were also detained.
“Even if I am not feeling well, I need to supervise the ronda patrol to ensure our city residents can sleep soundly,” Sayadi said.
Sayadi was elected vice mayor in the 2016 local elections with her brother, Japal Guiani Jr, elected as mayor. Only months later, Mayor Guiani died due to a lingering illness and Sayadi assumed the post by the law of succession.
“Discipline is a key for the city to grow and improve,” Sayadi said in a statement. “Law violators must be reprimanded and charged appropriately when diplomacy fails."
Before she led the “ronda" patrol, Mayor Sayadi reminded residents that everybody should follow the law in Cotabato City.
“Gone are the days when violators simply got away with their offenses because nobody was brave enough to face them,” Sayadi said.
The lady mayor expressed consternation after learning that among the latest curfew violators was a six-year-old child, whose mother is working abroad and his father was not home.
Sayadi vowed to continue her advocacy after learning that the public favors the way she runs the affairs of the city. (PNA)
