PEACE ON THE STREETS Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators ng Pilipinas (LTOP) president Orlando Marquez Sr. seen here during a press conference on Oct. 11, 2023 opposing an earlier transport strike. On Monday (June 17, 2024), he called on operators and drivers to exercise sobriety amid opposing views towards the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program. PNA
The Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators ng Pilipinas (LTOP) has condemned another transport group’s use of violence during a strike that was staged to protest the government’s implementation of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization (PUVM) Program.
In an interview on Monday, LTOP national president Orlando Marquez Sr. said there is no room for violent behavior in the transport sector, even if at times, the sector’s fight for more government support and incentives are founded on legitimate grounds.
The leadership of Samahang Manibela Mananakay at Nagkaisang Terminal ng Transportasyon (Manibela) is currently in hot water in connection with the mauling of DZRH reporter Val Gonzales in addition to their role in disrupting the flow of traffic in certain roads.
Marquez said his group is firmly behind the Quezon City Police District’s (QCPD) filing of formal charges against those who had a hand in inflicting harm on the journalist and at the same time continue to defy the long-delayed PUVM.
“There is no excuse for harming anyone over a lost cause. They (Manibela) should be held accountable for the trouble they caused last week. The transport sector is overwhelmingly behind modernization, so, no amount of mischief will allow them to have their way,” LTOP’s president said in Filipino.
It can be recalled that on Friday, the QCPD filed charges for alarm and scandal, and resistance and disobedience to persons in authority against Manibela chairman Mar Valbuena and Regie Manlapig, who heads the group's Bulacan and Pampanga chapters, before the office of the city prosecutor.
Marquez said modernization of the public transport sector should have begun as early as 1997, but it never really took off due constant protests and dilatory tactics from certain quarters within the sector that resist change.
He revealed that “about 90 percent” of operators under the LTOP banner have already complied with the route consolidation and are in the process of upgrading their vehicles, as called for by the PUVM Program.
Last week, DZRH reporter Val Gonzales accused members of transport group Manibela of assault covering a transport strike.
The MBC-DZRH radio station said the incident occurred while Gonzales was covering the protest of Manibela members on East Avenue, Quezon City.
“Ang mga kaparehong pangha-harass ay malinaw na pagsikil sa karapatan sa pamamahayag at walang puwang sa isang sibilisadong lipunan (Such harassments are clear violations of journalists’ rights and have no place in a civilized society),” Jularbal said.
He said those behind the assault would be held accountable to discourage similar incidents from happening again. “Makakaasa ang publiko na mananatiling committed ang MBC-DZRH sa pagtataguyod ng katotohanan sa ngalan ng patas at malayang pamamahayag (The public may rest assured that the MBC-DZRH is committed to advocating for truth in the name of fair and unrestricted journalism),” he said.
Manibela chair Mar Valbuena denied that their members assaulted Gonzales and claimed that the reporter instigated the incident.“Ang grupong Manibela ay mariing pinatututulan ang pahayag ng DZRH reporter na si Val Gonzales na umano'y sinuntok o sinapak siya ng aming mga miyembro,” he said.
“Ang nakita lamang sa kanyang video report ay ang paligiran diumano siya ng aming mga miyembro, ngunit ito ay para kausapin lamang siya nang mahinhin, ngunit hindi niya nilantad ang kanyang mga malisyosong sinasabi bago siya umere, kaya diumano siya sinaktan (What was seen in his video report was that he was surrounded by our members, but only so they can speak to him calmly. But he did not reveal that he was going to be airing malicious statements before going live, that’s why he allegedly was assaulted),” he said.
He said Gonzales allegedly started the incident by insulting members of the transport group, calling for their incarceration. PNA