Jeepney fare increase to proceed this week

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) denied on Tuesday a motion to stop an increase in jeepney fares this week.

In a decision dated October 30, the LTFRB denied the motion filed by United Filipino Consumers and Commuters (UFCC) to stop the earlier approved hike in bus and jeepney fares scheduled in the first week of November.

The LTFRB approved earlier this month an increase in minimum jeepney fare to P10 from P8.

In their appeal to stop the hike, former jeepney driver Arlis Acao and UFCC noted that jeepney drivers are already making good plying their trade with their income above the daily minimum wage.

But the LTFRB is upholding its decision petitioners failed to present new issues for the board to reconsider the fare increase.

“It is apparent that the issues raised therein had already been passed upon by the Board in resolving the instant Petition for fare increase as the same issues were raised by Opposition Acao in his Opposition filed on 13 June 2018,” the order said.

Statements from relevant stakeholders were already taken into account during earlier hearings on the fare hike petition, the LTFRB noted.

“All interested parties were given ample opportunity to participate and be heard by the Board during the scheduled hearings. In fact, the commuter sector had been well represented and heard during the en banc proceedings,” it said.

“However, despite the public nature of the said proceeding, it is only now or after the issuance of the decision that Mr. Javellana makes his belated appearance as oppositor.”

The LTFRB is referring to Rodolf B. Javellana Jr., UFCC’s president.

Dissenting opinion

The order was signed by LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra III and Board Member Ronaldo Corpus. But Board Member Aileen Lourdes Lizada dissented.

In her dissenting opinion, Lizada claimed that the LTFRB must first hear the petition before denying the motion—a process which she said the board failed to do.

There were no sufficient hearings to deliberate on the motion for reconsideration filed by the petitioners as the hearing scheduled on October 30 did not push through, Lizada noted.

“For the record, ‘di din po ako sinabihan na ‘di tuloy ang hearing,” she said in a separate message to reporters.

She was told that Delgra was sick, while Corpus was not available due to personal matters he must attend to, Liza said.

“The usual practice po is that we are told days before or a day before na ‘di tuloy ang meeting if walang quorum,” she added.

On October 18, the LTFRB approved a P1 increase in the first five kilometers of public utility bus fares in Metro Manila and provincial bus operator were allowed to implement provisional fare adjustments.

False hope

In a separate phone interview, Javellana said they filed their motion for reconsideration after Delgra announced in during a press conference in Malacañang last week that stakeholders may still file an appeal.

“Sabi niya roon, puwedeng dumulog ang mga mananakay, magpetition sa taas pasahe at doon sinabi niya puwede pa naman i-appeal ‘yan sa loob ng 15 araw,” he said.

“So nag-appeal tayo, tumugon tayo sa panawagan niya.”

Javellana said that he was informed less than an hour before the 9:00 a.m. hearing on Tuesday that it will no longer push through, and that a decision has already been made by the LTFRB board.

“Inimbitahan mo ang mga commuters na magreklamo, tapos bigla mong ka-cancel-in ‘yung hearing,” he said, adding that he was only advised of the cancelation 8:07 a.m.

“Ibig sabihin, itong ginawa ni Chairman ay isang malaking sarswela, isang malaking palabas, isang malaking papogi,” said Javellana noted.

Javellana said the group is looking at the possibility of appealing the matter before transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade. —VDS, GMA News