Colorum vehicles, beware!
Taking a cue from President Rodrigo Duterte’s direct order, Philippine National Police Chief said the PNP-Highway Patrol Group will be more aggressive in going after colorum public transportation vehicles.
Dela Rosa said the PNP-HPG will be the lead law enforcement arm of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in the government’s intensified anti-colorum campaign.
“They [LTFRB] can just tap the services of our Highway Patrol units but right now, since the instruction of the President is very clear that Highway Patrol should conduct anti-colorum operations, nandon yung ating highway patrol na nagi-i-spearhead sa panghuhuli ng colorum but of course they have to coordinate with LTFRB para naman maayos yung kanilang operations,” the PNP chief said.
According to HPG director Chief Superintendent Arnel Escobal, his agency has already impounded at least 32 colorum buses in the National Capital Region, Region 4-A, Region 7, and Region 11.
“I am advising them damihan pa ninyo para luluwag itong Edsa. Ituloy ninyo panghuhuli n’yo. Alam ko marami pa diyan iyong double plate, kambal plaka, marami pa ‘yan para luluwag ang Edsa,” Dela Rosa said.
Duterte had declared a nationwide crackdown against colorum passenger vehicles and said that he wants policemen to arrest its drivers and operators. He also told authorities to kill the drivers or operators if their lives would be at risk while making the arrest.
Duterte’s strict orders came following the fatal crash of a Dimple Star bus crash in Occidental Mindoro, which klled 19 people dead and injured 21 others.
The President had admitted that the government is to blame for not decisively curbing the proliferation of colorum passenger vehicles, as he said that laws and regulations against illegally operating units must be fully enforced.
Meanwhile, Criminal and Investigation Detection Group chief Director Roel Obusan said that the owners of Dimple Star Transport have been sent home after appearing before their office in Camp Crame last Friday.
“Hindi uusad yung kaso kaya kailangan umuwi muna sila…kasi dadalhin nila yung mga documents na kailangan to assist yung case na pineprepare ng Region 4-B kasi doon nangyari yung kaso,” Obusan said.
“Kailangan namin silang palabasin at babalik din naman sila dahil sa mga dokumento na kailangan. We cannot go with the case kung wala yung mga dokumento na ‘yon. Kasi we believe ‘pag nakuha yung dokumento it can facilitate the filing of the case,” he added.
Recently, Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista personally served the closure order against the bus liner at the Dimple Star bus terminal in Cubao.
Authorities have impounded at least 44 Dimple Star units in Occidental and Oriental Mindoro following the tragic accident.