‘Arrest illegal tow operators’

Pasay City Mayor Wenceslao Trinidad has ordered his police chief, Superintendent Eduardo de la Cerna and his men to arrest the personnel of an abusive towing firm that has been operating for more than a year in the city.

"I ordered the chief of police to arrest them immediately. (The firm) has no franchise to operate here," Trinidad said.

Trinidad said he has yet to see the videotape showing abusive towing personnel sent to him by a group of businessmen who appealed to him for help last Tuesday, but nevertheless ordered the police to crack the whip on the towing firm.

Aside from the videotape, some 50 businessmen sent Trinidad a two-page letter appealing to him to put a stop to the rampant towing of vehicles along EDSA, particularly in Barangay Malibay.

Trinidad said even before the businessmen’s complaint, he had sent at least five letters to the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) bringing to its attention the illegal activities of towing services.

The Pasay City businessmen fear that the towing operations would drive their customers away, leading to income loss. They are just recovering from the blow the construction of the MRT along EDSA brought to their businesses and cannot afford the consequences of the illegal towing firm. – Nikko Dizon