The Philippine National Police has clarified reports on Tuesday that some of its personnel blocked public utility vehicle drivers who were set to join a nationwide protest of some transport groups against the government’s Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program.

PNP spokesperson and information chief Col. Jean Fajardo said that reports of the said blocking incidents allegedly happened in Bacoor, Cavite and Malolos, Bulacan.

Reports said that when those who were set to join the protest march passed through the random checkpoints together with Land Transportation Office personnel and were temporarily held and asked if they have documents like special permits since their route will be out of the line of their route as the PUV drivers have not presented any
documents as they opted to go back instead to issue traffic citations tickets.

Fajardo explained that there are people inside the PUVs and that is part of the normal checkpoint and LTO operation
and this is not the first time that the LTO is doing a joint operation when they are conducting a random inspection
asking for police assistance from the PNP.

“They were not blocked, and like I said, this is a normal deployment of the PNP; the random checkpoints, police visibility,”
Fajardo said.

“It so happened that they passed by the area with signs so they were searched for LTO papers since they had nothing special to exchange permit… they are the volunteers who don’t go ahead instead of getting a ticket,” she added.
Based on the monitoring of the PNP, there were 151 PUVs which joined the transport protest and Fajardo said that they
have deployed 175 mobility assets to aid commuters, while libreng sakay services of local government units and other state agencies cushioned the impact of the protest action.

“We provided at least 175 mobility assets to help other government agencies that have released their special buses and other vehicles so that in case someone is stranded and there is paralysis in transportation, the PNP is ready to provide additional mobile patrol,” Fajardo said.

“So far, we have not recorded any untoward incidents and I hope this continues and as our PNP chief said we will exercise
maximum tolerance,” she added.

Meantime, PNP chief Police General Benjamin Acorda Jr. stressed that the protesters are free to express their
grievances as long as they are not sowing violence or disrupting regular activities in their respective places.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board also on Tuesday distanced itself from the issue that certain
quarters are blocking the jeepney drivers on protest coming from nearby provinces as well passengers.

It also immediately issued a statement that it is verifying reports on incidents of blocking workers and passengers travelling from nearby provinces to Metro Manila.

WITH JING VILLAMENTE