Stop deploying ‘mystery passengers,’ DOTr told

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) must stop the deployment of “mystery passengers” to check unvaccinated individuals in public utility vehicles (PUVs), Deputy Speaker Bernadette Herrera said, saying the move was an overkill.

“Quarantine measures must be explicit and public,” Herrera said in a statement on Sunday. “Such extreme measure is not necessary for our public transport system during this pandemic,” she said.

She urged the DOTr to instead make sure that screening measures are in place to ensure that health protocols are observed in PUVs.

—NESTOR CORRALES