Transport protest vs PUVMP set Tuesday

MANILA, Philippines — Manibela will hold another protest tomorrow amid the looming threat of unconsolidated public utility jeepneys (PUJs) being allowed to operate only until Jan. 31.

At a forum yesterday, Manibela president Mar Valbuena announced the Jan. 16 transport “strike,” which Manibela quickly clarified on their Facebook page would be a “protest,” alongside fellow transport group PISTON and other sector groups.

“We will march from University of the Philippines (UP Diliman), España, up to Mendiola this Tuesday. This (transport protest) will be nationwide. After a series of meetings in the past days, we are prepared for the protest action. The number (of protesters) will be tripled compared to the Dec. 29 (2023) protest as many already expressed sympathy for the scheduled protest,” Valbuena said in Filipino.

He noted that at least 7,000 drivers and operators joined the Dec. 29 protest action.

“We expect at least 10,000 to 15,000 drivers in Metro Manila alone (to join the transport protest),” Valbuena said. He added that those who joined the consolidation will also join the protest action.

Valbuena said that drivers are not cowed by the threat of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) that starting Feb. 1, it will start the crackdown on unconsolidated PUJs.

“We are not afraid (of the crackdown) as every day, drivers are subjected to violations, including a fine of P5,000 for failure to carry with them the memorandum circular,” he noted.

Valbuena called on the House of Representatives to extend the franchise of PUJs to five years instead of the extension of consolidation.

“We are appealing to the House of Representatives, to our Speaker, instead of approving the extension of the consolidation, what should be extended is our franchise, returning the five years validity of our franchise, as the provisional authority given to us is illegal,” he said.

For his part, former Bayan Muna representative Neri Colmenares said that the Office of the Solicitor General already filed an answer, after the Supreme Court (SC) ordered the government to reply after a petition was filed questioning the legality of the consolidation.

“The SolGen already filed its comment and we are drafting our reply, and we plan to file it before the Supreme Court this week as we need to hasten the process before the Feb. 1 deadline. We reiterate our call for the Supreme Court to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO),” Colmenares said during the same forum.

Colmenares added that commuters are among the petitioners.

“The petitioners include the drivers, operators and the commuters. At present, despite 100 percent (of PUJs) still allowed to operate, commuters are already having difficulties. What more if only 60 percent (of PUJs) will ply the roads?” Colmenares said.

On Dec. 21, Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide or PISTON asked the high tribunal to stop the implementation, and ultimately void certain government orders related to the public utility modernization program (PUVMP).

PISTON filed a petition for certiorari and injunction questioning the legality of the Dec. 31 deadline set for the PUVMP, and also sought a TRO to prevent its implementation until the petition is resolved.

Mody Floranda, PISTON president, has said jeepney operators and drivers are still hopeful that the SC will issue the TRO.

The group also asked the SC to declare the order formalizing the modernization plan, and circulars for the consolidation, as null and void.

“We are happy that many lawyers joined Bayan Muna to help the drivers and, hopefully, a TRO will be issued to prevent the crackdown (on unconsolidated PUJs) starting Feb. 1,” Colmenares added.

Transport co-operations ready to serve

Office of Transportation Cooperatives chairperson Andy Ortega yesterday said that transport cooperatives are ready to serve areas where the percentage of unconsolidated PUJs are high.

“The cooperatives who consolidated are now awaiting the special permits or documents from the LTFRB, so that they would know who among them will be given the opportunity to provide services to passengers in the routes where operators did not consolidate,” Ortega said in a radio interview.

He added that the cooperatives can also tap drivers whose operators chose not to comply with the consolidation deadline.

“The LTFRB continues the processing, and determines how many drivers can be covered,” Ortega added.

He maintained that it was clear for the unconsolidated PUJs when the deadline for PUVMP ended.

“They knew the implication of not joining the program. There were even groups who went to the Supreme Court to question the program. We will see what will be the decision of the Supreme Court, but we at the Department of Transportation will just do what should be done,” Ortega said.

He reiterated it is the cooperative that decides which modernized vehicle to choose, amid reports that the locally produced modernized jeepney is cheaper compared to the imported minibuses.

“The government has increased its equity subsidy to P280,000. A local manufacturer also approached us offering P985,000 per unit. What is important is it passes the standard set. (The decision) is in the hands of the cooperatives. They all have the freedom to choose,” Ortega said, as reports indicated that modernized minibuses reach more than P2 million per unit.

For her part, LTFRB member Riza Marie Paches said that since the start of consolidation, at least 1,728 cooperatives and corporations were established covering at least 262,344 members.

Paches said that at least 190,000 public utility vehicle units have joined the consolidation. — Neil Jayson Servallos