ILOILO City – Only the signature of President Rodrigo Duterte is needed to finally give drivers of modern jeepneys under the Iloilo City Alliance Operators and Drivers Transport Cooperative (ICAODTC) their payment for offering “Libre Sakay”, according to Director Richard Osmeña of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) in Region 6.
The drivers have yet to receive payment from the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and LTFRB for offering free rides to the public from April 19 to June 30 this year.
Around 200 modernized jeepneys in this city and Iloilo province (San Joaquin, San Miguel and Cabatuan tows) offered free rides.
According to Osmeña, LTFRB chairman Atty. Martin B. Delgra III already wrote the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to release the fund to operators, cooperatives and drivers offering “Libre Sakay”.
“Libre Sakay” is a Service Contracting Program (SCP) under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2) to help the transport sector adversely affected the coronavirus disease pandemic.
Osmeña explained that the DBM has yet to release the fund as it emphasized that the program ended June 30. The funds should only be released within the “Libre Sakay” period (April 19 to June 30), and it is prohibited per DBM’s rules to release the fund beyond that period, Osmeña said.
“Ang ila (DBM) thinking after June 30 indi na puede mapagwa ang kwarta kay June 30 ang deadline, but ang stand sang LTFRB amo nga nahatag na ang serbisyo, dapat bayaran ang serbisyo,” Osmeña told Panay News.
Though the DBM also considered processing the payment beginning June 15, the operators and drivers were said to have appealed the extension of the “Libre Sakay” up to June 30, said Osmeña.
“‘Di ba June 30 last day, ang gusto nila (DBM) nga untat biyahe mga June 15 tani para ma-proseso sang tanan (ang documents). Pero nag-ayo ang operators nga isagad asta June 30 amo to nabudlayan sa pagproseso. We have to process everything under June 30 so amo ‘na nabudlayan. But anyway everything has been approved already,” added Osmeña.
Delgra wrote the DBM as other drivers, cooperatives and operators in the country have also yet to get their full payment.
The DBM, in response, wrote the Office of the President asking if they could already release the funds.
“So, the chairman wrote DBM and DBM already acknowledged the letter and approved (it) as of last week. Now the letter is already in the Office of the President for the president to sign it. So most likely next week or late this week mabayaran ang tanan ang operators,” said Osmeña.
The regional director did not reveal the exact amount the drivers are getting, though he said they already have given them an initial down payment.
Osmeña added that the LTFRB-6 is also not remiss in asking their central office for updates.
Earlier, drivers lamented their hunger and debts.
“Tani padasigon man nila. Gutom na kami, lubong na kami sa utang. Ang amon (cooperative) daw wala na kapital, naubos na ka ruling sa fuel namon kag sa maintenance,” said Rafael Prudente, 44, of Barangay Lanit, Jaro district.
Drivers under the under ICAODTC were forced to halt their services for 20 days in July. Their cooperative barely had funds for their fuel.
According to Prudente, their cooperative had to shell out at least P54,000 daily for their fuel expenses during the “Libre Sakay” period.
In Iloilo province, ex-officio Board Member Ramon Sullano, Interim President of the Philippine Councilors League-Iloilo Chapter also said they have received similar complaints.
“Supposedly daw weekly basis ang pag-release sang sweldo pero ginakasubo nga asta subong way gid nakabaton sang bayad halin sa national government,” said Sullano citing the complaints.
A committee has also been called to discuss the matter./PN
