THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) branded the illegal commercial operations of various transport vehicles as “Covid-19 smuggling,” blaming them for the continued spread of the disease that has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Filipinos.
Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade called these operations “Covid-19 smuggling” after he saw a video of a truck that transported people reportedly from North Luzon to Metro Manila. As seen on the video, the people are huddled and many of them were not wearing any protective gear.
A man was then heard thanking the truck driver for transporting the people inside. The video then showed people being instructed to board unmarked commuter vans that will take them to cities inside Metro Manila.
Tugade said he was informed that closed vans and trucks “smuggle” people into the borders of Metro Manila in exchange for cash.
In a statement with expletives, Tugade said, “Sons of bitches, why are they doing this. Don’t they know that they are compromising and putting many people and livelihood at risk?”
He said this is a clear violation of health protocols and must be stopped immediately, calling on concerned agencies such as the Land Transportation Office (LTO), the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), the Inter-Agency Council for Traffic (I-ACT), the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) to immediately “act with urgency” to prevent a repeat of this activity.
“These things must not be tolerated. Let’s move strong on this,” he said. “They are compromising the whole country. Our handwork on testing, isolation and treatment will all be wiped out because of this madness,” Tugade said.
He explained that people who support these activities may become carriers of the virus, as they are all crammed in an illegal vehicle and are untested for the coronavirus disease.
The LTO, for its part, is issuing a show-cause order against the driver or the registered owner of the truck.
In the Greater Metro Manila Area alone, a total of 153 colorum vehicles were apprehended between January and March. More recently, the DOTr apprehended 12 vehicles in Bicol, with 79 of their passengers testing positive for Covid-19.
Tugade noted that while he understands the reasons behind the need of people availing these illegal transport services, he said these activities can only do more harm than good.
“I am calling on my fellow Filipinos. Let’s stop patronizing these illegal activities. We are allowed to make a living, but let us not do it by killing another person,” he said.
Tugade also noted that authorized persons outside of residence are allowed to reach Metro Manila through authorized forms of transportation.
Earlier, commuter group The Passenger Forum said the government must review the supply-demand ratio for transport modes during the quarantine period to adequately, efficiently, and safely ferry passengers from one point to another, thus discouraging them from using colorum services in the process.
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