Miriam wants Senate probe on ‘resistance’ to Manila truck ban

The row between the local government of Manila and a truckers' group over the city's new daytime truck ban policy has reached the Senate. 

 

On Tuesday, Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago filed a resolution calling on the Senate local government committee to probe the "resistance" of certain stakeholders from the trucking industry to the truck ban being implemented in Manila.

 

In Senate Resolution 532, Santiago said some truckers may have committed grave coercion after they threatened to continue their "truck holiday" in the face of the Manila truck ban.

 

"The actions of the truckers threatening the Manila government officials that they will continue with the 'truck holiday' until their demands are met are indicative of grave coercion," the senator said in her resolution.

 

She added that the Manila truck ban is a "valid exercise" of the local government's "police power."

 

Under the Revised Penal Code, grave coercion is committed when "any person who, without authority of law, shall, by means of violence, threats or intimidation, prevent another from doing something not prohibited by law, or compel him to do something against his will, whether it be right or wrong."

 

On Monday, Manila enforced a daytime truck ban from from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day, except on Sundays and holidays. Offenders will face a fine of P5,000, plus the towing of their trucks. 

 

Some trucker groups decided not to roll out on Monday to protest the truck ban. These groups argued that the truck ban will affect the production schedule of some factories in the country. — Andreo Calonzo/RSJ, GMA News