ILOILO City – Key transport groups in Western Visayas have expressed strong support for the government’s move to impose mandatory drug testing on all public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers every 90 days, but urged clear guidelines and long-term sustainability of the program to ensure road safety reforms do not lose steam over time.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr), under Secretary Vince Dizon, announced sweeping safety reforms in response to a string of deadly road accidents that recently claimed several lives, including children.
Among the measures are the immediate implementation of mandatory quarterly drug tests for all PUV drivers, stricter vehicle safety checks, reduced driving hours for public utility bus drivers from six to four hours, and the enforcement of speed limiter regulations.
The DOTr will also impose a 90-day suspension on erring drivers based on verified citizen reports.
“This is about justice and restoring public confidence in our roads,” Dizon said. “The old system failed. Lives are at stake and we must act now to fix it.”
In Iloilo, Western Visayas Transport Cooperative (WVTC) president Raymundo Parcon welcomed the new directive, stressing the importance of ensuring passengers’ safety.
“We cannot allow drug-using drivers behind the wheel. We support the mandatory drug testing, but the government must clearly outline how it will be executed and whether assistance will be provided to cooperatives like ours,” Parcon said.
WVTC, which operates modern jeepneys in Iloilo City, has around 300 drivers and Passenger Assistance Officers (PAOs).
In coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Region 6 and the Land Transportation Office (LTO), WVTC recently conducted a random drug test in its major terminals. The operation led to the arrest of one driver in a buy-bust operation and his subsequent expulsion from the cooperative.
While WVTC already requires drug tests during the hiring process, Parcon admitted that they had not been conducting follow-up tests — prompting the cooperative to seek external support to maintain a drug-free workforce.
The Association of Taxi Operators in Panay (ATOP) shared a similar stance. President Perfecto Yap said their group is in favor of drug testing but warned that the reform must not become a mere media soundbite.
“We’ve seen these pronouncements before. What we need is a concrete, enforceable, and monitored system. The mechanisms are already there within company rules and regulatory frameworks — but they were not being followed through,” said Yap, who also advises Joroshely Transport Services and serves as consultant to the Western Visayas Alliance of Transport Cooperatives and Corporations, Inc. (WVATCCI).
Yap also pointed out that the LTO and LTFRB used to require drug testing for license renewals, but this practice was dropped due to weak implementation. He suggested that the DOTr work closely with the PDEA to ensure that the new drug testing policy is both effective and practical.
“Let’s not just rehash old policies without addressing the reasons they failed. We need close monitoring and actual enforcement — not just announcements for show,” Yap added.
Transport groups are now waiting for the official implementation guidelines and financial assistance details, if any, that will help support the expanded drug testing program./PN
