Solon wants ‘full of promises’ LTFRB abolished

MANILA, Philippines — A lawmaker is calling for the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to be abolished as many poor jeepney drivers remain off the road amid the pandemic.

Senior Citizens Partylist Rep. Francisco Datol Jr. said he will file a bill with regard to his proposal, noting that the LTFRB has been “full of promises” as to when traditional jeepneys would finally be allowed back on the road.

“Ngayon, nakita naman natin, ang inuuna nila’y bus, inuuna yung kung anu-ano pa, may mga airconditioned jeep pa, [pero] ‘yang mga jeep nawawala (We can see that they are first allowing buses and others such as air-conditioned jeeps, but traditional jeepneys are gone),” Datol said.

“Ang nangyayari dito tatlong linggo na kaming binobola, tatlong buwan na ‘yung giyera natin. Yung pandemic ang pakiramdam namin diyan giyera,” the lawmaker added.

(They’ve been playing us for three weeks. Our war has gone on for three months. We feel that the pandemic is like war.)

Datol likewise questioned why there’s a need for an order regarding which mode of transportation will be allowed to operate first.

Currently, a two-phase resumption of public utility vehicles (PUVs) is being implemented, guided by a “hierarchy of transport” wherein priority is given to vehicles which could accommodate more people.

The first phase allows trains, bus augmentations, point-to-point buses, taxis, transport network vehicles and tricycles to resume operations while the second phase deals with modern jeepneys and UV Express vans.

“Ngayon, bakit hindi nila pagsabay-sabayin nasa GCQ (general community quarantine) na tayo? ‘Yung 50 porsyento ng lahat ng sasakyan, palabasin na ‘yan nang hindi mamatay sa gutom ang ating mga tsuper tsaka iba pa nating mga mahihirap na kababayan,” Datol said.

(Why not allow them simultaneously now that we are under GCQ? Allow 50 percent of the vehicles to operate so that our drivers and other poor countrymen won’t die of hunger.)

“Palabasin na ‘yan, kung anu-ano pa ginagawa nilang dahilan—ke may uunahin sila—di na dapat ‘yun. Ngayon natin kailangan yan,” he added.

(Let them out, they are giving us various reasons such as this has to be accommodated first, it should not be that way.)

Datol said that a congressional investigation regarding the matter is no longer needed, adding that he would ask other lawmakers to support his bill.

Further, Datol said that Congress should be given to grant franchises.

“Kawawa naman ‘yang mga jeepneys, kawawa yung mga tsuper. Hindi lang yan, yung mananakay na limang milyon sa Metro Manila. Hindi mamamatay sa pandemic ‘yan, mamamatay sa gutum ‘yan,” the lawmaker said.

(I pity our jeepney drivers as well as our five million commuters in Metro Manila. They won’t die of the pandemic but rather of hunger.)

Datol also has a message to the leaders of LTFRB and the Department of Transportation (DOTr): “Palambutin nyo naman ang puso ninyo (Have a soft heart).”

“Alam niyo kasi, pag walang puso ang nangangasiwa sa LTFRB, pag walang puso yan, hindi nila mararanasan ‘yung paghihirap ng ating mga kababayan,” Datol said.

(If the leaders of LTFRB won’t have a heart, they would not experience the hardships of our countrymen.)

“Ngayon, kung sila ay may puso na kamukha naming halal ng bayan, naiintindihan namin hanggang doon sa baba, talaga namang palagay ko pinalabas nila ang bus, isinabay nila ang jeep,” the lawmaker added.

(If they have a heart like us elected officials, we understand all the way to the grassroots, I think buses would have been allowed along with the jeepneys.)

Malacañang has said that UV Express units have a better chance of resuming operations than traditional jeepneys under quarantine protocols.