Selective enforcement

By Dave Achondo

WITH everything that has been happening with the ride-sharing App “Angkas,” I have come to realize how amusing the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board is when it comes to implementing and enforcing its mandate. This agency, for a brief moment, was placed on the limelight for a few days simply because it leads a crackdown on Angkas drivers. No praise was given, just the opposite as some of us see their action as a publicity stunt, and although they did follow their orders, we felt as if it was “selective.” Why only Angkas drivers? Habal-habals don’t count as breaking the TWG pilot guideline?

Forgive me for being sarcastic but habal-habals weren’t even given a thought. They are illegal, they don’t pay taxes, don’t provide helmets (unsafe), and have no insurance coverage, unlike Angkas. Some habal-habal drivers don’t even have driving licenses to show. Yet, Angkas motorcycle were swiftly impounded by the LTFRB.

Okay, the LTFRB-10 did its job. By law, they can impound Angkas motorcycles for not following the MC Taxi Pilot Study guidelines. However, for years now, the LTFRB did little or nothing at all on habal-habal, “colorum” taxi drivers, and trike cabs (dulog).

All they did, based on my personal encounters, was just to issue tickets and gave violators slaps on the wrist but they didn’t impound the vehicles unlike what they did to Angkas riders. Fascinating isn’t it? Sounds to me there’s a selective enforcement going on because they sit on the sidelines making no effort to stop these illegal forms of transportation.

I doubt the LTFRB in Region 10 is a clueless agency with blind officials. That’s why I see the recent event as a publicity stunt, not worth praising, but criticizing.

The “colorum” taxis aren’t caught because allegedly they have an “All Mighty Entity” pulling the strings. Therefore, they do not get caught because they are protected. That is all gossip, of course, unless proven otherwise. But what if – it was true?

Anyway, going back to the LTFRB’s crackdown on Angkas riders and impounding their motorcycles. I would like to commend them for an achievement report that they wanted. But I for one think that the move was amusing. Why single them out? I call that a form of selective enforcement because vehicles are plying the highways, illegally picking up passengers long before Angkas came to this city.

I haven’t heard a successful crackdown conducted by the LTFRB on “colorum” taxis, habal-habal, among others, to make me believe in their capability as an agency to carry out their memorandum fairly. 

I also want to point out how blind the LTFRB is, in particular, when it comes to “colorums” and why they should focus more on correcting this problem instead of focusing on ride-sharing apps that are supposedly legit. But because of the pilot runs with other ride-sharing apps, they are considered operating illegally in Mindanao as of the moment.

It’s the same as any government agency that remains blind to issues. I would like to give LTFRB a heads up on where to look next. Simply because “I am a good citizen,” as they started their crackdown on Angkas riders, they may as well keep the ball rolling, that is, if they have the balls.

They may have thought that we didn’t notice their lapses and negligence here in CDO. Rest assured, we did. The swift actions conducted by the LTFRB against Angkas riders to an extent is laudable. 

I’d like to dare the LTFRB to be a beacon of change. I dare the following agencies to do the following:

• I dare the LTFRB, LTO, DOTR and other related agencies to put a stop to open pipe motorcycles. They are annoying and noisy. How? Simple, by raiding shops that sell them, and impounding the motorcycles that use them It’s that easy.

• If the LTFRB is so busy going after ride-sharing apps, why not put a stop to habal-habal drivers. Prove that your action with Angkas has neither favoritism nor bias. These habal-habal drivers and trike cabs (dulog) can be seen in Divisoria, Pabayo-Chaves, Centrio, and other parts of this city from 7 pm till the wee hours.

• We have a video uploaded on our social media page wherein drivers begging the LTFRB, LTO to put a stop to “colorum” taxis and “dulog” plying their routes as its causing them money. But did the LTFRB do anything significant about it? Nope, they did not. Instead, they conducted a crackdown on Angkas riders only, Yehey! Selective enforcement.

• Form a group tasked solely to crack down on these illegal PUVs.