‘Follow the law,’ Moreno tells transport group

Manila Vice Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno

MANILA, Philippines—“Just follow the law,” Manila Vice Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno told the Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (Fejodap) after  the group held a transport strike Monday morning.

“I was explaining to them that if you have not commited anything wrong, you will not be apprehended,” Moreno said in  Filipino when interviewed over Radyo Inquirer 990 AM.

Moreno said Fejodap president Zenaida Maranan and her group have been complaining  that  traffic enforcers from the Metro Traffic and Parking Bureau were allegedly collecting money from jeepney drivers.

But  until  now,  the vice-mayor said,  Maranan’s  group  has not   filed  any formal  complaint  against  the erring enforcers.

“I told Aling Zeny that if you are not  violating  the  law, you should not be apprehended…I told them “why don’t you file a formal complaint against the erring enforcers,” Moreno said.

Another group of jeepney operators and drivers, he said,  is working with the Manila City Hall to stop colorum jeepneys in the nation’s capital.

Moreno said that Pasang Masda, whose president Obet Martin is a close friend of Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada, is working closely with the Manila government after a previous ticketing incident that saw 30 of its jeepneys apprehended.

“Chief Obet and Mayor Erap are very close friends, we issued tickets to the drivers but since the two are very close friends, Mayor Erap was the one who paid for the tickets,” he said.

“When that happened, their illegal operations stopped and now they are working with us.”