President Rodrigo Roa Duterte orders Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Martin Delgra III to arrest the operator of the Dimple Star bus during his visit to the accident site in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro on March 23, 2018. He also ordered the arrest of other operators who are running colorum public utility vehicles nationwide. Duterte's orders came on the heels of the accident involving the same bus company that left 19 dead and 21 wounded last Tuesday. Joining the President is Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence Go. ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte orders Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Martin Delgra III to arrest the operator of the Dimple Star bus during his visit to the accident site in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro on March 23, 2018. He also ordered the arrest of other operators who are running colorum public utility vehicles nationwide. Duterte's orders came on the heels of the accident involving the same bus company that left 19 dead and 21 wounded last Tuesday. Joining the President is Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence Go. ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

Ni ARGYLL CYRUS B. GEDUCOS

Galit na ipinag-utos ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ang malawakang crackdown sa mga hindi rehistrado, o mga kolorum na public utility vehicle (PUV) kasunod ng pagbulusok sa bangin ng isang pampasaherong bus sa Occidental Mindoro, na ikinasawi ng 19 na katao nitong Martes.

Ito ang sinabi ng Pangulo nang dumalo siya nitong Biyernes ng gabi sa ika-16 na anibersaryo ng Supreme Tribal Council for Peace and Development, Inc.

VP Sara, tahasang iginiit na hindi niya binoto si Romuadlez

Bago magtalumpati, sorpresang bumisita ang Presidente sa lugar ng aksidente sa Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro kasama sina Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Chief Martin Delgra III, at Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Christopher “Bong” Go.

Sa kanyang speech, kinumpirma ni Duterte na inutusan niya ang pulisya at ang mga transport official na arestuhin at magsagawa ng drug test sa lahat ng driver at operator ng mga kolorum na PUV, at i-impound ang sasakyan ng mga ito.

“I had a meeting with the Highway Patrol and the chief of police there. I told them to ‘apprehend all the colorum drivers and operators in the Philippines’,” ani Duterte. “Lock them up because I want them to experience life in jail.”

Paliwanag niya, dapat lang na dakpin ang mga driver at operator ng mga sasakyang kolorum dahil lumalabag ang mga ito sa batas.

“When a vehicle is not registered and uninsured, and you park it in terminals, that is considered as fraud,” sabi ni Duterte. “We got used to vans that are unregistered, uninsured, and has unmaintained engines and tires, and we do not do anything about it almost everyday.”

Nagbabala rin ang Pangulo laban sa mga planong pumalag sa pag-aresto, sinabing ipinag-uutos niya ang kaparehong pagtugon sa mga nanlalaban sa drug suspect.

“If you resist arrest and the lives of the police were in danger, my order to them was to kill you,” sabi ng Pangulo.

Sa isang text message, sinabi ni Delgra na mariin ang utos ng Pangulo sa LTFRB na paigtingin ang anti-colorum operations nito sa buong bansa.

“Walang patawad. If they resist, call in the HPG and the army,” ayon kay Delgra ay utos ng Pangulo.

Kaugnay nito, sinabi kahapon ni Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque sa isang pahayag na simula bukas, Lunes, ay may karagdagang ayudang tatanggapin ang mga nasawi at mga nasugatan sa aksidente sa Mindoro.

“Per the LTFRB, starting Monday, March 26, the families of those who died would directly be receiving P200,000 while those injured will receive P20,000 from the Passenger Accident Management and Insurance Agency (PAMI),” sabi ni Roque.

Kinumpirma rin ni Roque na ipinakakansela ni Duterte ang prangkisa ng Dimple Star Transport, sinabing itinakda na sa Abril 18 ang hearing ng LTFRB kaugnay ng proseso ng kanselasyon sa prangkisa ng kumpanya—na una nang sinuspinde nang 30 araw ang lahat ng 118 bus.