The Mandaluyong City Regional Trial Court has issued a 72-hour injunction against the government’s guidelines on the implementation of pilot run for motorcycle taxis.
The order signed by Vice/Acting Executive Judge Ofelia L. Calo states that there was an urgency in the issuance of a 72-hour temporary restraining order for the implementation of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board’s Revised Guidelines for the Pilot Implementation of Motorcycle Taxis as 17,000 Angkas riders who have been earlier accredited by the company and allowed to participate in the implementation will “suffer grave irreparable injury as they would lose their jobs.”
The local court granted injunction on the 10,000 arbitrary cap in Metro Manila and 3,000 riders for Metro Cebu per company imposed by the Technical Working Group on Motorcycle Taxis.
The order was in response to the class suit filed by Angkas riders.
“A 72-hour Temporary Restraining Order is hereby issued upon posting of a bond in the amount of Three Hundred Thousand Pesos (P300,000.00), enjoining the respondents and/or any other person/s acting for or on their behalf, from implementing the Revised General Guidelines for the Pilot Implementation of Motorcycle Taxis insofar as it puts a cap on the number of bikers that Angkas is entitled to and from performing any act that limits and impairs their rights to deal with an continue with their contracts with Angkas,” the Order states.
Rommel Villanueva, one of the bikers who filed the petition said the order proves that “justice is on our side. We are only trying to make an honest living and helping commuters every day to get to their destinations fast and safe.”
“Why should the government stop us? Why should our families go hungry? We are not doing anything wrong,” he added.
Sought for comment, the LTFRB said it will comment on the merit of said TRO issuance, as soon as the same has been duly received.
“We are now coordinating with the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) for the proper disposition of the case. Whatever legal process we will have to go through, we, at the TWG, will always be guided by our respect and abeyance for due process of law,” LTFRB said.
“The TWG is confident that it stands on solid legal ground in its administration of the Motorcycle Taxi Service Pilot Implementation program, and we remain steadfast in carrying out our mandate, especially in ensuring that the safety and welfare the riding public is at stake,” it added.
It may be recalled that the Technical Working Group of the LTFRB which was overseeing the implementation of the pilot program for motorcyle taxis issued on Dec. 19 the Revised Guidelines practically slashing the number of the 27,000 existing Angkas bikers to 10,000 in Metro Manila.
The LTFRB guidelines also included We Move Things Philippines Inc. (Joyride) and and Move It in the extension of the pilot run from Dec. 23 to March 23.
The government also put an overall cap of 39,000 registered bikers for three ride-hailing apps—10,000 per Transport Network Company for Metro Manila and 3,000 bikers per TNC for Metro Cebu operations.