Photo courtesy of PNP PIO
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa has ordered the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) to lead the drive against illegal public utility vehicles following the fatal bus crash in Occidental Mindoro last week.
The HPG will operate in coordination with the Land Transportation Franchise and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Dela Rosa said in a press briefing on Monday.
“On orders of President Rodrigo R. Duterte, we are waging aggressive operations against colorum public transportation that pose great risk to travelers,” Dela Rosa said.
“The Highway Patrol Group will lead police operations to implement this,” he added.
Colorum vehicles are those that operate as public utility vehicles without franchises.
Duterte ordered a nationwide crackdown against colorum vehicles after a Dimple Star passenger bus plunged into a ravine in Sablayan town, Occidental Mindoro, and killed 19 people.
READ: Duterte orders massive crackdown on colorum vehicles
Dela Rosa said the HPG already impounded a number of colorum buses in the National Capital Region, and the Calabarzon and Mimaropa regions.
The police chief said the HPG would assist the LTFRB in apprehending such vehicles.
“Andito kami. We are providing them with a law enforcement arm pagdating sa enforcement na yan ng colorum. We have regional HPG [to help them],” he said.
(We are here to assist them, we are providing them with law enforcement arm in apprehending colorum vehicles.) /cbb