Pasay City sinkhole patched up; senator demands accountability
“Authorities are demanding accountability for the sinkhole that appeared on Sales Road in Pasay City, and according to a report by Inquirer.net, Senator Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr. wants Maynilad Water Services and its contractors penalized over the matter ‘so that they will become more responsible with the impacts of their service.’
“‘Hindi pwedeng hayaan lang na ire-repair tapos wala na. Hindi yun accountability,’ said Revilla. The lawmaker also pointed out how it was very alarming that the sinkhole was found near the foundation of the NAIA Expressway.
“Maynilad said the sinkhole was likely formed because of a pipe leak that drenched the soil under the road. The company conducted a leak detection and had already identified the source of the leak, which was a ‘fairly new’ pipe. It claims this leak was caused by external factors, likely by third parties.
“Maynilad and the South Manila District Engineering Office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) finished repairing the affected portion of Sales Road on April 17, and it was opened to light vehicles at 4pm that day. For the safety of road users, only light vehicles are currently permitted to pass through the newly repaired section.”
Fines, penalties for e-trikes suspended for one month
“The ban on electric tricycles, light electric vehicles, tricycles, pedicabs, kuliglig, and pushcarts on national and major roads in Metro Manila began on Monday, April 15. In the first two days, apprehending enforcers only gave warnings to violators, with the issuance of tickets, the imposition of fines, and the impounding of vehicles taking effect on Wednesday, April 17.
“But now, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and local government units in the capital region to suspend the implementation of fines and penalties for one month.
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“‘Ngayong araw na ito, iniutos ko sa MMDA at sa lahat ng lokal na pamahaalan sa Metro Manila na bigyan ng palugit ang mga e-bikes, e-trikes, at iba pang apektadong sasakyan na dumadaan sa ilang tukoy na daan sa Metro Manila,’ reads the statement posted by Marcos on X (formerly Twitter) on April 18. “Kailangan pang magbigay ng sapat na panahon para sa malawak na pagsisiwalat ng impormasyon hinggil sa ban na ating ipinapatupad.’
“However, the President is not suspending the regulation that bans the aforementioned vehicles on 21 roads: ‘Ang sakop ng grace period ay ang hindi pag-ticket, pag-multa, at pag-impound ng mga e-trike.’
“The MMDA reported that from 6am to 5pm of April 17, it caught 131 violators of MMDA Regulation No. 24-002. The users of 72 tricycles, four pedicabs, 26 e-trikes, and 29 e-bikes were fined P2,500 each. In addition, 41 vehicles were impounded for not having registration documents or for being operated without a driver’s license.”
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PBA tries to bribe traffic enforcer on EDSA Busway
“This week, PBA player Raymond Almazan of the Meralco Bolts was caught along the EDSA Busway on April 15 by the Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation (SAICT). Had he accepted the ticket and driven off, the incident probably wouldn’t have been publicized. But according to SAICT, Almazan tried to bribe the Philippine Coast Guard officer issuing the fine.
Watch: PBA player tries to bribe EDSA Busway traffic enforcers
“EDSA Busway violators are fined P5,000 for the first offense, while driving a motor vehicle without a certificate of registration or official receipt carries a P1,000 penalty.
“On a related note, the MMDA has received former Ilocos Sur governor Chavit Singson’s promised ‘reward’ for the traffic enforcers who apprehended his convoy last week. Singson increased the amount from the initial P100,000 to P200,000, but despite acting chairman Artes saying that the donation came with ‘no strings attached’ and would go to the MMDA’s General Fund, an official from the Civil Service Commission (CSC) has stated that any government agency is prohibited from accepting rewards.
“An Inquirer.net report directly quoted CSC commissioner Atty. Aileen Lizada: ‘Meron po tayong Republic Act No. 6713. Ang Section 7 po, sinasabi, and I’d like to read it: Solicitation [or] acceptance of gift – Public officials and employees shall not solicit or accept directly or indirectly any gratuity, gift, entertainment, loan or anything of monetary value from any person in the course of their official duties of, in connection with any operation being regulated by, or any transaction which may be affected by the functions of their office.’”
Anti-colorum task force formed ahead of PUVMP consolidation deadline
“After repeatedly declaring that the April 30 consolidation deadline for the PUV Modernization Program (PUVMP) is final, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is now joining hands with two other agencies to crack down on public utility vehicles that will be declared ‘colorum’ beginning May 1, 2024.
“The DOTr, the MMDA, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), through the participation of the Special Project Group of the Philippine National Police (PNP-SPG), have signed a memorandum of agreement to form a joint task force that will carry out anti-colorum operations in Metro Manila. They will be assisting the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Land Transport Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) in apprehending PUV operators and drivers who fail to consolidate on or before April 30.
“From March 12 to April 15 alone, the MMDA and the DILG’s anti-colorum team made 56 colorum apprehensions and 44 out-of-line apprehensions, as well as impounded 100 units and arrested three persons. Fines range anywhere from P6,000 to P1 million, and to give you an idea of the amount generated from penalties, in December 2023, the DOTr collected P20.8 million from anti-colorum operations.
“Aside from helping legitimate PUV operators who reportedly lose 35% of their income to colorum vehicles, Bautista claimed that cracking down on illegal operators will improve Metro Manila traffic: ‘If we can decrease 90% of colorum operations, this is of big help to the legitimate transport operators and a huge relief to the usual traffic flow.’”
Heavier fines, penalties for erring car dealers and importers
“The LTO urges vehicle and car parts importers to get their papers in order. At the same time, it has fired warning shots at fraudsters within MAIRDOEs (Manufacturers, Assemblers, Importers, Rebuilders, Dealers And Other Entities).
“That’s because the agency has just received approval to impose higher fines and penalties for ‘erring dealers and importers.’ It comes from calls from the LTO in order to deter dubious practices and mishandling of paperwork.
“The following offenses now carry a harsher punishment. The first one is for ‘Commission of fraud and misrepresentation in the filing of the application and its operations, including stock and sales reporting,’ while the second is for ‘the submission of fraudulent, fake or falsified stock/sales periodic reports as required by law, rules and regulations.’
“From now on, the minimum fine for either offense is P500,000. That’s on top of the suspension of the dealer/importer’s Certificate of Accreditation and the cancellation of its Certificate of Stock Reported. The dealer’s sales report and vehicle registrations will also be canceled.
“For the second offense, erring dealers and importers face blacklisting for one year. That’s also on top of the other punishments handed out from the first offense. Erring MAIRDOEs will also be locked out of their respective LTO Online Portal accounts during the suspension period and/or until the settlement of the fine.”
