Transport groups are urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration to increase the insurance payment coverage under the Compulsory Third Party Liability (CTPL) following the fatal accident at the SCTEX toll plaza in Tarlac City that killed at least 10 people.

Led by the Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (ALTODAP), the groups also called on the Insurance Commission to spearhead this effort, which they say would benefit millions of road users.

“Passengers of private vehicles are at a significant disadvantage because under current regulations, the maximum that can be provided under CTPL is only P200,000,” ALTODAP head Melencio Vargas said.

Following the multi-vehicle collision last 1 May, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chairperson Atty. Teofilo Guadiz III committed to expediting the release of insurance benefits for all victims.

The LTFRB ordered the Passenger Accident Management and Insurance Agency (PAMI) to immediately process claims for those injured or killed.

While the 33 injured bus passengers are assured of P50,000 to P100,000 insurance from PAMI, this coverage does not extend to the injured passengers of the two private vehicles involved.

Additionally, while PAMI covers up to P400,000 for each deceased passenger of public utility vehicles, this same coverage does not apply to the eight fatalities from the Nissan Urvan and the two deceased passengers of the KIA Sonet in the SCTEX accident.

“And what’s worse, that P200,000 is not per individual. That P200,000 will still be divided among the passengers who died or were injured in the accident,” Vargas said.

He also stressed that fair insurance benefits have long been an advocacy of their group and others in the transport sector, noting their daily experience on the road makes them acutely aware of issues surrounding insurance claims.

Another concern raised by ALTODAP and other transport groups is the need to expedite the release of insurance payments in the event of road accidents. Vargas cited the Katipunan flyover accident, where it reportedly took several days for the P200,000 maximum insurance payment to be released to the victims.

“Four died in the Katipunan flyover accident and 25 were injured. The maximum insurance payment released was only P200,000, and that was further divided among all the victims,” Vargas said.

“The small amount of money was not even enough for the medicine of those injured and the burial expenses,” he added.

Meanwhile, LTFRB spokesperson Atty. Ariel Inton clarified that PAMI, not the LTFRB, is responsible for paying or indemnifying the families of road crash victims, with the LTFRB only acting as a facilitator for the claims.