BUTUAN CITY – To rid corruption in the bureaucracy and taking a cue from President Aquino’s reform agenda, Butuan City Mayor Ferdinand Amante, Jr. ordered the Butuan City Police Office (BCPO) the other day to dismantle all unauthorized checkpoints mushrooming around the city, particularly those along the giant Agusan river.

Amante also ordered the filing of charges against persons manning unauthorized checkpoints of government and private agencies.

The order followed a public hearing conducted by the Committee on Peace and Order chaired by Sangguniang Panglungsod member Ryan Culima. Majority of the members of the legislative board were present led by Vice Mayor Lawrence Fortun.

All representatives of law enforcement agencies such as BCPO, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Highway Patrol Group (HPG), Land Transportation Office (LTO) and other concerned government and private agencies were also present including the media.

The public hearing stemmed from the alleged massive “extortion” activities conducted at some unauthorized checkpoints by some government agencies.

“These extortion activities must be stopped at all cost because this is anti-business,” said Amante in his opening address before the start of public hearing.

“I will not allow these extortion activities to continue and we will stop these once and for all,” he said.

The city officials were also alarmed at the possibility that the 5,000 employees and workers of wood processors could be forced to stop operation because of the alleged “extortion” and “molesting” activities by some groups.

“I want Butuan to grow and I want to eliminate the atmosphere of fear due to extortion activities,” Amante said.

On the other hand, the city’s legislative Committee on Peace and Order SP Culima also acknowledged several complaints reaching his committee. “These extortion activities are tantamount to economic sabotage,” he said.

The BCPO chief was given one week to do the job.