Duterte orders arrest of operators, drivers of colorum PUVs

March 25, 2018

President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered policemen to arrest operators and  drivers of colorum public utility vehicles nationwide following the fatal bus accident in Occidental Mindoro.

“I had a meeting with the Highway Patrol and the chief of police. I told them to ‘apprehend all the colorum drivers and operators in the Philippines,’” he said during his speech at the 16th founding anniversary of the Supreme Tribal Council for Peace and Development Inc. in Davao City on Friday night.

“Beginning tomorrow or today, everyone will be arrested. All the colorum vehicles will be lined up where they were caught and then the drivers and operators will be thrown to jail,” he added.

The President said his order was legal because they were violating the laws.

“Why? Because it is fraud. It’s cheating and that is a crime. Some of you don’t know about the reckless imprudence. Nobody is being apprehended on reckless imprudence. It would eventually be declared as an accident,” he said.

“And then some will hurriedly pay for the insurance, while some will not. So that’s why you shouldn’t ride on those. The reason why I addressed this first is --- don’t ride on them because --- Well, the vehicles will no longer be used anyway. They [drivers and operators] will really be arrested,” he added.

He asked for the understanding of people saying “there is a law that we must follow.”

“Let’s piece together the laws so that --- I will put a halt to this for the good of the people. This is for everyone. Don’t be angry at me, those who are listening in the Visayas. But there is nothing else that I can do. There is a law that we must follow,” he explained.

Duterte said the government was to blame for not decisively curbing the proliferation of colorum PUVs, adding laws and regulations against illegally operating units must be fully enforced.

“They died too soon for no significant reason. The only reason they died was --- the government is to blame because the government couldn’t control the situation even though people are dying. But the government just let it be,” he said.

He also said that he would resign from his post if he could not solve the problem.

"If I could not solve this, just tell me and I will step down from my post. I will hand it over to someone who can better address this problem," he said.

He also threatened to shoot, worse kill, the drivers and operators who would resist the arresting authorities.

“That’s my order. That is why these colorums [drivers], if they were shot because they attempted to stab the police, then, sorry because I will not turn my back on them [police]. I gave them the order. So that’s it,” he said.

“If their lives are placed in danger because of your resistance, then I can’t do anything about it. You want to file charges? Okay. You want a trial? Okay, let’s have a trial,” he added.

He said he did not care even if transport operators and drivers would stage protest actions because of his order.

“I don’t care about… protest. I’ll give you one year to do so. I’ll just declare a one year vacation for everybody,” he said.

Duterte said now is the time for the government to prove itself and should be responsible in protecting the people.

Last March 21, Dimple Star bus fell into a deep ravine in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro, killing 19 people and injuring several others.

Duterte visited the victims of the accident in Occidental Mindoro and personally extended his condolences to the families of those who perished. Ella Dionisio/DMS