Senator Raffy Tulfo and others filed a Senate resolution to temporarily suspend the implementation of the government’s Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).
Those who authored Senate Resolution (SR) No. 1096 along with Tulfo are Senate President Francis Escudero, Majority Leader Francis Tolentino, Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel, Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada; and Senators Nancy Binay, Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Ronald Dela Rosa, Loren Legarda, Imee Marcos, Robin Padilla, Grace Poe, Bong Revilla, Joel Villanueva, Cynthia Villar, Mark Villar and Juan Miguel Zubiri.
Tulfo, during the July 23 hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Services, said that the modernization program is unplanned and rushed.
In filing SR No. 1096, Tulfo and his colleagues highlighted the valid and urgent concerns raised by affected drivers, groups, unions, and transport cooperatives, particularly issues on consolidation into cooperatives.
The senators said that these small stakeholders, particularly the drivers who remain unconsolidated are effectively forced out of their livelihoods. This is caused by the insufficiency on the part of the government to educate affected parties as well as the burden of financing the cost of modern PUVs.
Transport group Manibela on Wednesday lauded the 22 senators who have signed a resolution to halt PUVMP.
Manibela president Mar Valbuena, in an interview, said: “Our sacrifices have paid off. This is a welcome development.”
“We appeal to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to sign it,” he said, adding that the government does not have the financial capability to subsidize the program.
When asked about the so-called Magnificent 7’s threat to stage a transport strike should the Senate pass a resolution stopping the consolidation program, Valbuena said “that is their right to do so.”
Roberto Martin of Pasang Masda said “We will have another discussion. Those who signed the resolution did not want change.”
He said he believes the Chief Executive would stay firm on his stance to support the government’s modernization program.
The Magnificent 7 is composed of Pasang Masda, the Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines, Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytors Nationwide, Alliance of Concerned Transport Organization, Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines, Stop and Go, and Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators ng Pilipinas.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline Senate resolution seeks temporary suspension of PUV modernization program
