ILOILO — The crackdown on illegal-for-hire vehicles in Western Visayas is intensifying, with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) raising the alarm after total apprehensions surged to 80 following the latest roadside operations targeting so-called “colorum” vans.
Two more illegally operating vans were intercepted during an inspection along a national highway in Molo, Iloilo City on April 21, proving what authorities described as a growing and organized circumvention of transport regulations in the region.
The operation, led by the LTO’s Regional Law Enforcement Section (RLES) under Deputy Chief Relin Reyes, uncovered privately registered vans illegally transporting passengers for a fee without the required franchise from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
The latest arrests came just days after another colorum van was caught on April 13 at a checkpoint in Barangay Santa Rosa-Laguna, Guimbal, Iloilo. The vehicle was carrying 12 passengers — including a minor — en route from San Jose, Antique, to the Mohon Terminal in Iloilo City, further exposing the scale and persistence of unauthorized transport activity.
“These incidents underscore a troubling trend that has emerged within the public transportation sector,” LTO-6 said, as it warned of a rising number of private vehicle owners being recruited into illegal operations disguised as car rental ventures.
LTO-6 regional director Atty. Gaudioso Geduspan II expressed concern over schemes enticing vehicle owners with promises of profit, often without disclosing the legal requirement of securing a franchise.
Authorities stressed that recent policy changes have tightened regulations.
Under LTFRB Memorandum Circular No. 2024-038, previous exemptions for certain rental arrangements have been removed, effectively requiring all vehicles used for paid transport — whether for individual rides or group bookings — to obtain proper authorization.
“The protections established under Memorandum Circular Nos. 2011-008 and 2019-003 are no longer applicable,” the agency emphasized, warning that any vehicle leased for a fee without a franchise is now considered illegal./PN
