Pangilinan calls for probe into slow aid to displaced transport workers

Sen. Francis Pangilinan. (Screen grab/Senate PRIB)

Sen. Francis Pangilinan on Thursday called for an investigation into the “slow” implementation by the Land Transportation and Franchising Board (LTFRB) of its service contracting program (SCP) for displaced transport workers, as cited by the Commission on Audit (COA).

With Senate Resolution No. 861, Pangilinan asked the concerned Senate committees to look into the 1.07-percent utilization of the total P5.58-billion budget of the LTFRB for their SCP, intended as a temporary livelihood for public utility vehicle drivers.

“Since May, we have been calling for the speedy disbursement of these funds. Now that Bayanihan 2 has expired, the government still spends meager funds for the drivers who have lost their livelihood,” he said.

Called out for delays

Pangilinan cited the 2020 annual audit report on the LTFRB, which the Commission on Audit (COA) called out for the delays in implementing the said program.

The COA reported that only 49.8 percent, or a total of 29,871 drivers, of the 60,000 targeted driver-participants were registered in the SCP program at the end of 2020.

Quoting the claims of transport coalition Move As One, Pangilinan said the jobs of at least 2.7 million land transport workers had been at risk since the start of the pandemic, more than half of which were drivers, conductors and freight handlers.

Emergency mode

“We are in an emergency mode so we should act swiftly. These findings of slow disbursement are unacceptable while many drivers are struggling to provide sustenance for their families,” he said.

The senator cited statements from the LTFRB that the memorandum of agreement it has entered into with the Land Bank of the Philippines, which governs the distribution of cash subsidies to eligible beneficiaries, was signed only in December 2020.

According to the LTFRB, the 1-percent utilization rate as cited in the COA report only covers the implementation month of December 2020.

The LTFRB also clarified that as of June 30, P1.5 billion was released to the beneficiary drivers and for the procurement of the “systems manager.”

Pangilinan said the LTFRB should explain its “neglect” in disbursing the SCP funds.