Senators urged President Marcos to temporarily suspend the implementation of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) until issues raised by jeepney drivers and operators are satisfactorily resolved.
Senate President Francis Escudero made the recommendation following a hearing that tackled the grievances of the transport sector.
He said on Tuesday the modernization program should be put off until “questions are answered and problems addressed.”
Escudero pointed out the PUVMP was done in haste and was just forced upon the transport sector by the Duterte administration.
It was revealed that a resolution supporting the program’s suspension will be routed to the other senators as soon as it is ratified by the Committee on Public Services chaired by Senator Raffy Tulfo.
The Senate President said he is confident the majority of the senators would agree with him and would join him seeking the intervention of the President, whom they believe has an open mind on the matter.
Senato JV Ejercito and Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino seconded Escudero’s proposal.
Meanwhile, during the hearing, members of the group Manibela held a protest outside the Senate to demand the suspension of the PUVMP.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said 83.38 percent of more than 190,000 units have consolidated, while 63.96 percent of route consolidation has been achieved, and 1,749 transport cooperatives have been formed.
In a statement, the transport group PISTON said their call to halt the implementation of the jeepney phase out is “just and urgent.”
“It is a reflection of the Filipino people’s widespread disgust over the over the exploitative policies on public transport and other vital public services in the past several years under the corrupt and puppet regimes of both Duterte and Marcos,” the militant group said.
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