ILOILO City – A viral video showing passengers crammed inside a minibus has triggered a sweeping crackdown, with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) Region 6 apprehending nine for overloading in a single enforcement operation on Feb. 12.
Personnel from LTO-6’s Regional Law Enforcement Section, led by Deputy Chief Relin Reyes, conducted random inspections across Iloilo City. Authorities caught nine minibuses carrying passengers beyond their mandated capacity and issued tickets to their drivers for first-offense violations of overloading under Joint Administrative Order (JAO) 2014-01, which carries a penalty of P6,010.
LTO-6 regional director Atty. Gaudioso Geduspan II ordered the rollout of expanded random inspections of so-called “modern jeepneys” across Western Visayas as part of an intensified anti-overloading campaign.
“Discipline must be maintained, and this can only be achieved through strict enforcement,” Geduspan emphasized, warning that repeated non-compliance could result in even tighter regulations.
He urged transport cooperatives to strictly monitor and discipline their drivers and Passenger Assistance Officers (PAOs), ensuring compliance with the maximum standing capacity rule to prevent overcrowding.
Geduspan also directed all LTO district offices across Panay and Guimaras, along with their law enforcement units, to rigorously implement a zero-tolerance crackdown against passenger cramming inside public utility vehicles.
The regional director reiterated that regulations clearly limit standing passengers to a maximum of 10 per modernized jeepney and stressed that violators will be penalized under existing transportation laws, including Republic Act 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code.
Driver in Viral Video Issued Show Cause Order
Geduspan confirmed that the driver of the modernized jeepney involved in the viral video — operating the ISAT-U–La Paz–Ungka route — has been issued a show cause order by the LTO-6 Intelligence and Investigation Unit.
He underscored that the comfort and welfare of commuters must remain the top priority of drivers and PAOs, noting that the video clearly showed more than 15 passengers already standing inside the vehicle.
In the video, a distressed passenger can be heard telling the PAO: “Okay na ni guro, indi na ta di kaginhawa, bro.”
The PAO allegedly replied: “Naog lang tani, To.”
The complaining passenger shot back: “Tan-awa bala hu, gutok-gutok na hu. Ano ‘ni imo man? Bakod ka man imo ba. Tan-awa bala daku-daku pa daan upod ko sa likod hu.”
Geduspan admitted he was displeased with the response of the PAO.
“This is a very inappropriate response sa isa ka pasahero nga obviously may discomfort na, parehas man sila plete. The public does not deserve this,” he told members of the media./PN
