MANILA, Philippines –“Thick-face” LTRFB should be questioned and charged before the Supreme Court for its “illegal” order allowing illegal trucks to ply major routes without consulting other government agencies, Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero said on Thursday.
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
LTRFB is Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, which allowed illegal trucks and provincial buses with pending applications with the agency to travel around major routes; and suspended the operations against out-of-line buses.
“Sa totoo lang, ang LTRFB, hindi ko nakikita kung saan humuhugot ng lakas ng loob…para gawin nyang hindi nakikipagkonsulta sa ibang ahensya ng gobyerno at hindi ko rin alam kung bakit pinapayagan ng DOTC na gawin yan ng LTRB e under naman nila ang ahensyang yan,” Escudero said during a weekly forum in the Senate.
He said the local government units should not only follow the LTRFB’s order but should also question it before the Supreme Court.
“In fact, dapat kuwestiyunin nila sa korte dahil sa tingin ko illegal yan e. How can you say that you can do something na illegal?”
“Only Congress can suspend the effectivity of a law. LTRFB can’t do that, trabaho nila mag issue ng prangkisa at manghuli ng walang prangkisa. Nabaligtad ang ginawa nilang trabaho, pinayagan yung walang prangkisa at colorum. Medyo mali naman yata yun,” he said.”
Escudero said the LGUs affected by the order should file the case against the LTFRB to reverse what it did.
“Sila pa nga raw ang kakasuhan sabi ng ilang kinatawan ng LTRFB, medyo kapal mukha naman yata yun. Dapat sila ang kasuhan kung saka-sakali,” he further said.
Senator Jose Victor “JV” Ejercito, an opposition member, also blasted the LTRFB’s “no apprehension policy” as “foolish.”
He also branded the two memorandum circulars issued by the agency as “flimsy attempts to favor the interests of bus and trucking companies.”
“No one in the right mind should allow colorum vehicles to ply major thoroughfares such as Edsa, C5 and Katipunan. LTFRB should be held liable for these new policies that exacerbated recent Metro Manila traffic, and for draining the patience of motorists and the economy as well,” Ejercito said in a statement.
The senator then urged the LTFRB to focus on its regulatory functions and away from the interests of businesses.
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