Lacson wants public transport workers regularized if elected president in Eleksyon 2022

Presidential aspirant and Senator Panfilo Lacson on Tuesday expressed support to policies seeking to regularizing public transport workers to ensure steady income for their families.

In a statement, Lacson said regularization of employees in the public transportation sector would give opportunities to drivers and conductors’ families especially in educating their children.

This would also protect the commuting public in case of accidents.

“‘Yan ang bumuhay sa amin [at] nagpaaral sa aming magkakapatid (That’s the job that provided for us and helped send me and my siblings through school),” Lacson said, recalling his father’s profession.

“Kasi ‘pag na-regularize, madaling ma-identify. Kasi again pagka-contractual, ‘di ba, nauso noong araw 10 ang lisensya ng driver? ‘Pag nahuli o kaya naaksidente tinatapon na lang ‘yung ano at mayroon na naman siyang [ibang] lisensya na gagamitin,” Lacson said.

(Because if they are regularized, they are easier to identify. Because again, if they are contractual, wasn’t in the practice back in the day that drivers had 10 licenses? So that if they got caught or have an accident, they can just throw away one and they would still have other licenses to use.)

Lacson also highlighted the need for data in crafting the legislation for this proposal, saying information would provide all the positive and negative effects for the industry.

“Kasi diyan ma-pro-professionalize [‘yung] mga driver [at] konduktor tapos medyo maganda ‘yung tingin nila, ‘yung dignidad nila aangat, kasi regular employees na sila. Hindi na sila ‘yung parang, alam mo ‘yon, boundary system,” he said.

(Regularization will professionalize the drivers and conductors, so they will see themselves in a better light, and improve their dignity because they become regular employees. They won’t rely on the ‘boundary system.')

If the public transportation system is fixed, Lacson said transport workers would be more disciplined and could be easily punished should they violate any laws.

“Pero kailangan lang talaga nasa wastong pag-aaral at saka [alamin] kung ilan ‘yung maaapektuhan [at] ilan ‘yung makikinabang [But we really need to study (the situation) carefully and learn how many (transport workers) will be affected and how many will benefit from it],” he explained. — Hana Bordey/RSJ, GMA News