Tension flared on the first day of a three-day nationwide transport strike Monday after members of transport group Manibela confronted Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) personnel over allegations that officials were photographing participating jeepneys to issue fines.

Manibela president Mar Valbuena and several drivers approached an LTFRB National Capital Region patrol vehicle along Commonwealth Avenue at around 8:07 a.m., accusing enforcers of intimidation.

“I know you will again be ordered to take pictures of the poor drivers’ vehicles, make things difficult for them, and fine them,” Valbuena said to agency representatives. “Instead of helping us, you take a picture of the plate number to submit it and have us fined.”

LTFRB acting chairperson Greg Pua Jr. and Land Transportation Office chief Markus Lacanilao later arrived at the protest site near Philcoa Footbridge to defuse the confrontation.

Pua apologized for the misunderstanding, explaining that enforcers were taking situational photos to document passenger volume rather than vehicle license plates.

However, Pua maintained that franchise holders are legally bound to operate authorized routes and warned that the agency may issue show cause orders for unauthorized service suspensions.

Lacanilao assured the drivers that Malacañang and Department of Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez were actively reviewing the sector’s grievances.

The three-day strike, organized jointly by Manibela and Piston, seeks government intervention on rising fuel prices, the removal of value-added tax and excise tax on petroleum products, and the repeal of the Oil Deregulation Law.