Manibela seeks House intervention on PUVMP

MANILA, Philippines — Transport group Manibela yesterday protested against the public utility vehicle modernization program (PUVMP) after its consolidation deadline ended on April 30.

Manibela chairman Mar Valbuena asked Speaker Martin Romualdez to intervene after the Supreme Court failed to issue a temporary restraining order against the PUVMP.

“Congress should act to solve the wrong data being presented by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB). Speaker Romualdez should fulfill his promise during our meeting with him where he vowed to support our call that the consolidation should be optional and we can still operate. We met with him in January,” Valbuena recalled.

At least 15,000 drivers and operators joined protests in various areas in Metro Manila, including Monumento, Novaliches and Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City, Las Piñas, Pasig, Punta, Nagtahan, Marikina, Parañaque and Alabang in Muntinlupa, he noted.

Many passengers were stranded in Novaliches, Marikina, Pasig, Parañaque, Manila, Monumento, Alabang, Karuhatan in Valenzuela City and Ugong in Pasig, he added.

“We only held protests but since the drivers joined the mobilization, they cannot operate,” he said.

This contradicted the LTFRB’s claim that at least 81 percent joined the consolidation, Valbuena said.

“This only proves the extent of the drivers and operators who did not join the consolidation. There will be no public transportation for the commuters. If the claim of the LTFRB was true, nobody would be stranded as many rescue buses were mobilized,” he added.

“If the consolidation was voluntary, how come many did not join the consolidation and operators were only forced to join the program because of fear,” he pointed out.

In Parañaque, members of Manibela staged a “silent protest” along Dr. Arcadio Santos Avenue from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.

“We can see that commuters are having a really hard time. Why are they forcing to remove traditional jeepneys?” a jeepney driver told radio dzBB.

The city’s traffic and parking management office said the volume of commuters in the area was “normal” despite the protest.

The LTFRB earlier said unconsolidated jeepneys will not be penalized until mid-May.