ILOILO City — Operators of modernized jeepneys in Western Visayas have accused transport regulators of “gross injustice” and selective enforcement after at least 10 modernized units were apprehended in a post-viral crackdown on overloading, even as alleged colorum and unregistered vehicles continue to ply major roads unchecked.
The Western Visayas Alliance of Transport Cooperatives and Corporations, Inc. (WVATCCI) publicly challenged the Land Transportation Office (LTO) Region 6, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Region 6, and the Iloilo City government through the Iloilo City Traffic Transportation Management Office (ICTTMO) to enforce traffic laws “fairly” and not single out modernized jeepneys.
The alliance held a press conference led by its president, Sherry Rose Songano, following inspections and apprehensions conducted after a video of an overcrowded modernized jeepney went viral on Feb. 11, drawing public outrage.
“At that time sang February 13, ara man ko sa field along Jaro Plaza kag na-witness ko nga while naga-inspection ang LTO and LTFRB indi sila fair? Ang modernized lang ang ginaparahan pero ang mga unconsolidated nga ara na gid naga-agi sa ila nga atubang, daw bebe nga bulag sila. Ang punto ko is kon may enforcement let’s be fair sa tanan, unconsolidated, unregistered, dapat tanan,” Songano said.
Following the viral video, authorities launched an operation that resulted in the apprehension of at least 10 modernized jeepneys for overloading, particularly for carrying more than 10 standing passengers.
However, Songano said they have not heard of any colorum or unregistered jeepneys being apprehended despite their continued operation on city roads.
She also questioned the apparent non-apprehension of tricycles operating along national highways, which she said contribute to traffic congestion and are also prone to overloading.
WVATCCI vice president and Western Visayas Transport Cooperative (WVTC) general manager Halley Alcarde attributed instances of overloading in modernized units to passenger surges during rush hours.
He compared the situation to Metro Manila, where buses also experience overloading during peak periods but are not, according to him, subjected to the same level of enforcement scrutiny.
“Nakita naton nga daw gina-single out lang ang aton diri sa Western Visayas, especially sa Iloilo. Ano gid bala ang rason? Ang aton gusto makita sa LTO nga indi lang nila pag-focus-san ang ining overloading, focus-san man nila ang colorum or mga unregistered nga mga salakyan nga padayun nga nagadalagan sa karsada apang wala na sang prangkisa,” Alcarde said.
He added that while colorum operations were minimal in past years, they have recently proliferated and continue to operate without apprehension, resulting in significant daily income losses for modernized units.
“May ginahimu bala nga tikang ang aton ahensya sang gobyerno, especially ang aton LTO and LTFRB sa proliferation sining mga colorum sa karsada, especially sa syudad sang Iloilo? Ang amon ginapangayo magiging balanse sa pag implementar,” he added.
In an official statement, the alliance clarified that it does not evade accountability over the Feb. 11 overloading incident involving one of its member-operated public utility jeepneys (PUJs).
“This was a singular breach of our strict internal protocols, and we have zero tolerance for such failures,” WVATCCI said.
“WVATCCI maintains rigorous, mandatory safety guidelines, load limits standards, and recurring training programs for all drivers and Passenger Assistance Officers (PAO) to ensure compliance. We have already initiated formal internal disciplinary proceedings to hold all responsible parties fully accountable and will impose non-negotiable sanctions as warranted,” the statement read.
However, the group stressed that the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP) is a flagship government policy and that the State bears “full, primary responsibility” for its fair and successful implementation.
“We embraced this program in good faith, investing substantial financial resources, undertaking major operational overhauls, and assuming significant liabilities to align with the government’s mandates-trusting that the State would act as a fair, reliable partner in this transition,” the alliance added.
The group said it has repeatedly raised concerns over gaps in financial support, insufficient transport infrastructure, and the lack of legislative backing through formal submissions and meetings with the Department of Transportation (DOTr), local government units, LTO, and LTFRB.
“These pleas for the government to fulfill its own obligations under the PTMP have been meet with nothing but complete bureaucratic inertia and unfilled promises,” the alliance said.
“It is a gross injustice that the government is quickest to punish the very entities that formalized their operations to support its mandate, while our repeated, urgent requests for law enforcement action against illegal colorum operators who operate with no regulation, no safety standards, and no accountability remain completely ignored,” it stressed.
“We demand that the government immediately cease its selective enforcement and systematic penalization of compliant transport entities. Instead of shifting blame for systemic failures onto partners who have upheld their end of the agreement, we call on the State to honor its obligations under the PTMP: address the root causes of the transport crisis, including insufficient infrastructure and unaddressed support gaps, redirect enforcement resources to curb the proliferation of illegal colorum units, and collaborate with us to improve our services for the public,” the group added./PN
