PNP denies blocking PUV drivers planning to join transport protest

PNP Headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City. (Photo from the PNP Facebook page)

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) denied on Tuesday that officers blocked public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers planning to join a protest staged by various groups against the government’s public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program.

The reported roadblocks set up in areas of Bacoor, Cavite, and Malolos, Bulacan, were part of police efforts to aid the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in their campaign against illegal and out-of-line PUVs, PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said in a media briefing.

“They were not blocked. As I said, this normal deployment of the PNP so that random checkpoints would have police visibility,” Fajardo said, speaking partly in Filipino.

She said that some of the drivers were reprimanded because they could not show documents required by the LTO.

Fajardo said the PNP deployed around 5,000 officers and 175 mobility assets for the transport protest to ensure public safety.

She added that the PNP did not monitor any untoward incident during the protest, which started around 9 a.m.