Poe panel probes safety of PH land transportation

Fifteen diad after bus hits post in Barangay Sampaloc, Tanay, Rizal province. INQUIRER PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

(Updated, 12:30 p.m.) The Senate on Tuesday began its hearing on measures calling for stricter regulation of land-based transportation in the light of the February 20 bus crash in Tanay, Rizal that claimed the lives of 15 people, most of whom were college students.

READ: Bus crash death toll hits 15; teacher among dead

The hearing was called by Senator Grace Poe as chair of the Senate committee on public services.

“I believe that excursions provide a means for students to learn outside the four walls of their classroom. True enough, we should investigate the necessity of such field trips for the purpose of crafting laws that will act as guidelines for learning institutions,” Poe said in her opening statement.

“However, we should not take the easy route and simply deter schools from allowing its students to engage in practical learning. Thus, we need to ask the right questions and create a legislative measure that will prevent road accidents, whether during the course of a field trip or not, from happening again,” she said.

Poe was referring to the deadly road accident last February 20 involving a Panda Coach bus, carrying students of Bestlink College to a training, when the vehicle slammed onto a post, killing 15 of its passengers.

Media reports said the students were on their way to a camping trip at Sacramento Adventure Camp in Tanay as part of the National Service Training Program when the accident happened.

Poe lamented that transportation safety is an important issue but this has long been languishing as a second priority.

“Various mishaps on land, such as those involving buses, and those at sea- particularly in the case of ferries- have given rise to public outcry over their handling and investigation,” she said.

At present, she said, there are agencies that compile data on vehicular accidents — The Philippine National Philippines Highway Patrol Group and the Metro Manila Development Authority but their functions were limited with regard to area, capacity and investigating powers.

“What about areas outside Metro Manila? Who takes note of that?” Poe asked.

The senator said the lack of a central autonomous body to investigate accidents also forced regulatory bodies to conduct their own investigations. These agencies, she said, have acted as “judge, jury, and executioner, leading to rumors of institutional whitewashes and cover-ups.”

“Thus, there is a need to avoid ‘conflict of interest’ situations wherein an agency is both the regulator and the investigating body on accidents under their purview. The lack of an independent body to address transport safety incidents has resulted in a lack of public confidence both here and abroad,” she added. IDL/rga