TNVS drivers file graft raps vs LTFRB Region 3 chief

A Transport Network Vehicle Services (TNVS) group has filed graft charges against Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Region III officials, including then-Regional Director Retired General Richard Albano, before the Office of the Ombudsman over the weekend.

The complainants, drivers and operators of HAIL TRANSPORT INC. (HAIL) and residents of various cities and municipalities in Central Luzon (Region III) and nearby areas, said they applied to operate lawfully under HAIL as TNVS but were prevented from doing so by Albano.

In their joint affidavit, the group requested Albano be placed under preventive suspension to preserve evidence, claiming the LTFRB Region III chief “has caused serious and measurable UNDUE INJURY to hundreds of families—food on the table, rent, school fees, medical needs, and the dignity of honest work.”

“We are TNVS driver‑applicants and/or small operators who intended to operate with HAIL in Region III. Many of us are sole breadwinners. Some are OFWs who returned home to drive; some are factory workers who transitioned to driving; some are small entrepreneurs who invested their savings into a single vehicle to support their families,” the affidavit read.

The complainants said they aligned with HAIL because “we desired lawful employment, formal systems, safer operations, and transparent processing of applications through a recognized TNC in accordance with LTFRB regulations.”

They claimed that on 25 September 2025, the LTFRB Board issued Board Resolution No. 321 authorizing an additional 650 TNVS slots for Region III, with routing stated as “ANY POINT IN REGION III,” without limitation, subdivision, or phased provincial release.

“For ordinary people like us, a Board Resolution is a government directive we can trust. When government says there are 650 slots for Region III, we reasonably expect the opportunity to apply and operate will be opened consistently with that directive, and that applications will be received and processed fairly,” their affidavit read.

The group said many purchased vehicles through bank financing, dealer financing, cooperative loans, or high-interest lending, with vehicle costs ranging from several hundred thousand pesos to over a million pesos, depending on the model and terms.

Despite the Board’s directive, the complainants said the LTFRB Region III implementation deviated in a way they experienced as arbitrary and exclusionary. Only 250 slots were initially opened, and the allocation was limited and controlled.

“Because of the restriction, many of our complete applications were not accepted or were not processed in time. We were unable to commence lawful operations as planned. Vehicles sat idle while monthly payments and family needs continued,” the group said.

They also alleged that applicants were told—directly or indirectly—that inclusion in the available slots required payment of large amounts, commonly ranging from P150,000 to P200,000 per slot.

“We submit these experiences as sworn statements of what ordinary applicants heard, saw, and experienced when scarcity and discretion were imposed. For a common driver, a demand for P150,000 to P200,000 is not just unreasonable—it is impossible without debt, pawn, or selling family assets,” the TNVS drivers and operators said.