Transcript of Sen. Grace Poe's Opening Statement Hearing on the irregularities in LTFRB and truck policies; and PITX

Today's hearing of your Senate Committee on Public Services is now called to order.

Two Senate Resolutions are to be considered today: Senate Resolution No. 954 on the issues and controversy in relation to the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX); and Senate Resolution No. 955 on the complaints and discontent in the trucking sector.

The committee will check and assess the mandate of the DOTr and LTRFRB with regard to their public services functions to help the riders, commuters, drivers, operators, the individuals and sectors comprising the transport industry. Gusto ko pong bigyan kayo ng malinaw na ideya ng kinakaharap ng isang Pilipino sa pagpunta sa kanyang trabaho o eskwelahan sa loob ng Metro Manila.

Noong Nobyembre 2017, may ginawang pag-aaral ang Boston Consulting Group kung saan nakita nila na ang mga Pilipino sa kalakhang Maynila ay nakakaubos ng isang oras at anim na minuto sa traffic. Kung susumahin, 16 araw sa isang buong taon yamot, inis at nakukunsume ang Pilipino sa trapiko sa kalakhang Maynila. Mahigit kumulang P100,000 ang di umano'y katumbas na "lost income opportunities." Ganito pa rin po ang sitwasyon ngayon.

Against this backdrop, the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange or PITX, the first "landport" in the Philippines and a flagship project of the government, is established and it is primarily to decongest traffic in Metro Manila by reducing the entry of provincial buses from Cavite and Batangas which will terminate at the PITX located at Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard, just at the end of Cavitex. Passengers are expected to have a seamless travel and smooth transition from provincial buses to multiple modes of transportation into their respective destinations.

2015 na-i-award ang pagpapatayo ng PITX sa napiling consortium. September ngayong taon, naglabas ang LTFRB ng Memorandum Circular No. 2018-020 na nagsasabing lahat ng bus, UV at jeep na papasok galing sa Coastal Road at Cavitex ay magtatapos sa PITX. Isang buwan ang makalipas, noong Oktubre, ang DOTr bigla namang nag-issue ng Department Order No. 2018-025 na ine-exempt ang higit kumulang 300 na bus at pinapayagan ang mga ito na tumuloy pa rin papasok sa mga destinasyon sa loob ng kalakhang Maynila. Ang inauguration ng PITX ay ginawa noong ika-5 ng Nobyembre. Pagkatapos ng dalawang linggo, naglabas na naman ang LTFRB ng Memorandum Circular No. 2018-022 upang ma-implementa ang exemption ng 300 buses ayon sa kautusan ng DOTr.

The timeline will provide us possible inconsistencies and feasibly mismanagement in the issuances of DOTr and LTFRB. Mahigit dalawang taon na po kayo diyan sa DOTr at LTFRB mula nang malaman ninyo ang proyekto ukol sa PITX. Bakit nitong Oktubre niyo lang biglang naisipang palitan ang inyong polisiya o patakaran at biglang pinayagang tumuloy papasok ng kalakhang Maynila ang 300 na bus? Bakit itong 300 na ito ang pinili ninyo?

The sudden change in policy of DOTr and LTFRB had allegedly led to the following: (1) bus operators and drivers lament the reported preferential treatment to the exempted 300 buses; (2) law enforcers are confused as to which buses should terminate their routes at the PITX; (3) majority of buses refuse to terminate their routes at the PITX; (4) commuters' travel and waiting times became longer because of the confusion; (5) prospective lessees of commercial and office spaces at the PITX backed out; and (6) for a lack of a better term, "nilalangaw" ang PITX dahil daw walang masyadong bus at pasahero na dumadaan o humihinto doon.

Ang pinakamalala sa lahat, mayroon ding mga balita na nagsasabing pinalsipika ng LTFRB ang panghuling pahina ng kanilang Memorandum Circular No. 2018-022 ayon mismo sa isang Board Member. Today, I hope former BM and now CSC Commissioner Lizada will crystallize the real situation in the agency involved. I would like her to narrate her full honest story on the issues in the discussion and let it serve the light that will best help the committee address the important matters confronting Filipino commuters, drivers and the transport sector.

For the second half of this afternoon's hearing, this committee will look into which test shall best ensure or produce safer trucks - the proposed "15 year old test" or an honest-to-goodness meticulous roadworthiness test? The committee will also look into unregulated industry practices and norms in the trucking industry that reportedly creates an environment which is vulnerable to corrupt practices. Ang mga patakaran ng pagsasauli o pagbabalik ng mga walang laman na cargo containers ay ating sisiyasatin. Atin ding titingnan ang tinatawag na "Terminal Appointment Booking System" o TABS na isang iskema na nagtatakda ng oras ng pasok at labas ng mga trucks sa mga piyer o ports. Magtatanong din tayo kung bakit walang 'uniform standard' o 'uniform calibration' sa pagtitimbang ng mga truck at mga kargamento nito.

All the aforementioned unregulated aspects of trucking, among others, had allegedly resulted in unfair and unjust practices that prey hard on truckers who are allegedly forced to pay unreasonable and even hefty fines to ensure the timely delivery of their cargoes to their clients. Ang mga gastos na ito ay, sa kalaunan, maaaring naipapatong sa presyo ng mga bilihin na siya namang pagbabayaran ng mga kababayan nating kokonsumo sa mga produktong ito. Kailangan nating magkaroon ng kaayusan sa sektor ng trucking at tanggalin ang mga walang kabuluhang aberya, congestion, traffic at gastusing magpapahirap sa mga consumers.