"Ilaha untang tumanon ang bala-od. Kay kami nakuyawan mi nga himoon na unya ning negosyo ang pagpanakop sa mga sakyanan," NADSU president Anthony Pogado said.
Pogado said that CITOM is supposed to release the impounded vehicles without the operators paying any fine after the court ruled the the city ordinance backing CITOM's power to impound PUV's is illegal.
CITOM executive officer Arnel Tancinco confirmed the other day that 12 impounded Cebu City-bound Mandaue jeepneys were "unofficially" released to their alleged claimants even if the vehicles are still subject of a case pending at the Court of Appeals.
CITOM already asked the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Branch to investigate the release of vehicles for possible filing of charges in court against those who were responsible.
To date, there are more than 60 Mandaue City vehicles stored in the city impounding area at the North Reclamation Area.
Pogado added that since there is an ongoing legal dispute between the Cebu City government and the drivers group on this issue, no vehicles will be released this time as the former have filed a temporary restraining order before the Court of Appeals with a prayer to reverse the decision of the lower court.
"Samtang wala pa sila nakakuha ug TRO, dapat mohunong sa sila sa pagpanakop sa mga Mandaue-bound jeepneys," Pogado said.
CITOM started impounding the vehicles in May last year in the course of the implementation of City Ordinance 1837, which limits the entry of jeepneys from Mandaue City to only two designated terminals at the Ayala and SM malls.
In September last year, the operators of Mandaue City jeepneys filed a petition for injunction and demanded P820,000 in damages. - Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon