22 senators want PUVMP suspended

MANILA, Philippines — Twenty-two senators have signed a resolution calling for the suspension of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).

In Senate Resolution 1096, the senators “express(ed) the sense of the Senate to … suspend the implementation of the Public Transport Modernization Program, formerly known as the PUV modernization program, pending the resolution of valid and urgent concerns raised by affected drivers, groups, unions and transport cooperatives with the end in view of ensuring a more efficient and inclusive implementation of the PTMP.”

The 22 senators who signed the resolution are Senate President Francis Escudero, Majority Leader Francis Tolentino, Minority Leader Koko Pimentel, Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, Raffy Tulfo, Nancy Binay, Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Ronald dela Rosa, JV Ejercito, Sherwin Gatchalian, Bong Go, Lito Lapid, Loren Legarda, Imee Marcos, Robinhood Padilla, Grace Poe, Bong Revilla, Joel Villanueva, Cynthia Villar, Mark Villar and Juan Miguel Zubiri.

Only Sen. Risa Hontiveros did not sign the resolution, which has enough votes to be approved in the plenary.

Hontiveros has yet to issue a statement explaining her decision.

In seeking the suspension of the program, the senators cited the thousands of drivers and operators who have yet to join as of April 30, the deadline of the program.

The senators said there are still 36,217 jeepneys and other public utility vehicles that have yet to be consolidated under the program, and that only 174 of the total 1,574 local government units have approved their local public transport route plan.

They cited the lack of information drive to educate drivers, as well as the hefty price tag of the new units as reasons for the “high figure of unconsolidated units.”

“Those who did not participate in the consolidation are now considered as colorum or operating illegally and run the risk of being fined and their vehicles impounded should the drivers continue to ply their routes,” the senators said.

“These small stakeholders, particularly drivers who remain unconsolidated, are effectively forced out of their livelihoods, with most of them expressing that the only skill they have