Guide Philippine leaders to govern responsibly, Pope urged

MANILA, Philippines - Labor group Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) on Wednesday appealed to Pope Francis to inspire government leaders to act responsibly in distributing the nation's wealth to all Filipinos.

TUCP- Associated Labor Unions Executive Vice President Gerard Seno said the Pope's visit to the Philippines will be a rare opportunity to reinvigorate the lives of the of the millions of Filipino workers.

"They are very eager to hear his voice and be renewed and empowered by the message of God. They need validation, meaning and purpose in the scheme of things," Seno said.

Seno also said workers expect Pope Francis to provide wisdom and guidance to Filipino politicians and government executives to govern effectively.

"Working people want to tell the Pope to share words of wisdom and guidance to elected and appointed government officials to give their highest best in carrying out their mandate to serve the public. They see Pope Francis as the right, the highest and the holiest person to inspire our leaders to lead in front in realizing the equitable sharing of the wealth of the nation," he said.

Pope Francis is set to arrive tomorrow, Jan. 15., for a five-day visit to the country. One of the main purpose of his trip is to see the condition of supertyphoon Yolanda survivors in Eastern Visayas. - By Dennis Carcamo (philstar.com)

LTFRB 7 - Central Visayas: Report fare violators

THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) urged the public to report any jeepney driver who refuses to honor the new P7 minimum fare that took effect yesterday so they can be investigated and penalized.

LTFRB 7 Acting Director Rey Elnar made the appeal after receiving reports that some jeepney drivers still collect not only P7.50, which was the previous official rate, but P8 because they would not give the P0.50 change.

Elnar said that once a passenger will file a complaint and submit the jeepney plate number, they will immediately summon the driver as well as the operator who will be both penalized under the Joint Administrative Order (JAO) 2014-001.

The order was jointly issued by the LTFRB, represented by Chairman Winston Gines; Land Transportation Office (LTO), represented by Assistant Secretary Alfonso Tan Jr.; and Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), represented by Secretary Antonio Abaya last year.

It provides the penalties for overcharging at P5,000 for the first offense, P10,000 for the second offense and P15,000 plus suspension of the certificate of public convenience (franchise) for the third offense.

Gines said the operators should make sure that their drivers have followed the new fare rate, as they will also be made answerable for the offense of their drivers.

On the other hand, Arthur Barrit of the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines said the labor group will file a new petition seeking for a P5 or P6 minimum fare rate because the price of diesel, as of yesterday, was already sold at P25 per liter.

Petition

Barrit said that when former Cebu City councilor Augustus Pe Jr. filed the petition seeking for a P7 minimum jeepney fare, the price of diesel was still P37 per liter.

Barrit said it is but proper for LTFRB to further cut the minimum fare to P5, which was the rate when diesel was at P29 per liter several years ago. The reduction of minimum fare will benefit the workers in Central Visayas, particularly in Cebu.

“If that is the case, then I will have to withdraw my petition. What is important is for the common good,” Pe told Sun.Star Cebu when asked for his comment.

Meanwhile, LTO 7 Director Arnel Tancinco said the refusal of the jeepney drivers to give 20 percent discounts to senior citizens, students and person with disabilities (PWDs) is a crime.

Tancinco said the fine as provided for under JAO 2014-001 is P1,000 for the erring driver and a bigger amount of P5,000 for the jeepney operator. - By Elias O. Baquero / SunStar

LTFRB - Central Visayas approves 50-cent fare cut

CEBU -- Minimum jeepney fares in Central Visayas will go down to P7 after a new order from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)-Central Visayas is published.

But two business leaders urged transport operators and LTFRB to consider bringing the minimum fare down to P6, to reflect the continuing drop in fuel prices.




LTFRB Board Member Antonio Enrile Inton Jr. informed Sun.Star Cebu on Sunday that a copy of the order resetting the fare rates will be presented today, January 12.

He urged the LTFRB-Central Visayas and law enforcement agencies, including the Land Transportation Office (LTO), to implement strictly the discounts for senior citizens and students.

In recent years when the P7.50 provisional minimum fare was implemented, some drivers overcharged by collecting P8 and refusing to grant the mandatory discounts. (The minimum fare covers the first five kilometers.)

Businesswoman Teresa Chan, president of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), said that the minimum fare must be P6.50 -- or P6, if possible -- because the price of diesel is now P28.75 per liter and may further decrease in the next few days.

“We are concerned about this matter because this can help our employees a lot. While P5 may not be feasible, considering the operational costs, we hope our jeepney operators and drivers will help the riding public, the majority of our population who are wage earners, by offering P6,” Chan said.

In a separate interview, spokesperson Art Barrit of the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines said he doesn’t “see the logic of the LTFRB in granting a reduction of only P0.50. It’s an agency that is faster to increase but slower to decrease fares.”

Annabelle dela Serna, regional coordinator of the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition, said any fare rollback will be much appreciated and help the riding public.

“Considering the continuous rollback in diesel prices, it is but proper to lower also the fare,” Dela Serna said.

Businessman Robert Go, chairman of the Economic Development Committee of the Regional Development Council (EDC-RDC), said jeepney fares must be lowered to P5 since the price of diesel has gone down to P28.45 and may keep dropping.

The minimum fare was P5 when the price of diesel was P29 per liter several years ago.

“Our inflation was lowest last quarter in years and the prices of basic goods are expected to go down. Seven pesos as minimum fare is still too high and should further go down to at least P6, as a compromise if jeepney operators argue about the prices of spare parts, tires, among others,” Go said.

He said that P6 would be a good compromise. (EOB/Sun.Star Cebu)

Palace digs in for court battle over train fares

THE Aquino administration said it is ready to defend its decision to increase the fares for Metro Manila’s elevated train systems (LRT Lines 1 and 2 and MRT-3) before the Supreme Court.

This was the Palace reaction after the leftist Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, Riles Laan sa Sambayanan (RILES) Network and the Train Riders Network (Tren) said they would file a petition for certiorari before the Supreme Court today to seek a temporary restraining order against the fare increase.

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma also appealed to those who will join the anti-fare hike protests to avoid obstructing commuters.

“We appeal to those who plan to join the protest action to take into consideration the over-all welfare of our citizens and not to obstruct traffic flow and be a nuisance to our commuters,” he said.

“The government respects the right of citizens to express their sentiments on the issue of fare hike in the LRT and MRT, including their reported plan to file a petition before the Supreme Court,” Coloma added.

The Palace official noted that lawmakers have supported the fare adjustment, saying it was an “exercise in political will.”

“Because of the delay in implementing the fare adjustment, previous administrations were not able to buy new coaches and upgrade the facilities of our mass transport systems,” Coloma said.

Members of the leftist youth group Anakbayan led a sit-down protest at the MRT North Avenue station yesterday as the fare hike took effect.

“No sane president will want to unjustly burden his people like this,” Anakbayan national chairperson Vencer Crisostomo said.

“The Aquino administration should be held accountable for approving these fare hikes despite the deteriorating state of our train lines and despite the fact that Filipinos cannot cope with these new and higher fares given the current economic situation,” he added.

MRT-3 fares increased from P15 to P28 for the 17-kilometer stretch from North Avenue Station in Quezon City to Taft Avenue Station in Pasay City.

For LRT-1 from Baclaran Station in Paranaque to Roosevelt Station in Quezon City, the maximum single journey fare increased to P30 while the fare for LRT-2 from Rizal Avenue Station in Manila to Santolan Staion in Pasig rose to P25.

“Not only is this fare hike a bad way to start the year, it is truly detestable, given that the current state of our train systems is far from being agreeable. President Aquino and his Cabinet are out of their minds if they think that the riding public will take these fare hikes lightly,” Crisostomo said.

In a radio interview Sunday, Senator Grace Poe attacked the LRT and MRT management for imposing a fare hike amid the deteriorating services to commuters.

She also slammed the authorities for imposing the hike on a weekend when there were no courts that could stop them.

“They have not been forthcoming about this,” Poe said.

Poe, a member of the Senate public services committee investigating the woes of train riders, said they would summon Abaya and officials of the Budget Department to answer questions about the fare hike.

The hearings would begin after the visit of Pope Francis, she added.

Also on Sunday, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines said it would join a big labor coalition to support the RILES Network today to protest the fare hikes.

Alan Tanjusay, TUCP spokesperson, said the Nagkaisa Coalition, composed of 49 labor groups and workers’ organizations, is calling on Abaya to consider the welfare of the workers and to stop the rate increase.

The working poor will become poorer with the fare hike, he added. – By Joyce Pangco Panares With Macon Ramos-Araneta and Rio N. Araja