Tarlac City – “Mga corrupt, ayaw talaga nilang hulihin ang mga colorum.”
Thus, said when officials from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) region 3 came to resume their “war against colorum” UV vans here.
As this came about, an officer of a transport group lambasted the officials of the 3 Land Transportation Offices (LTO) here who refuse to apprehend the more than 200 colorum vans plying the Mac Arthur highway north of this city.
Two colorum white vans were apprehended and impounded at the LTO Impounding Center at Barangay San Isidro here which were the white Toyota Lite Ace van (AHA 9216) registered in the name of Kristina Iglesia and another white Toyota L300 (YX 0255).
The apprehending team was headed by LTFRB Assistant Regional Director Atty. Jess Sison, head of the anti-colorum task group, and was assisted by the Regional Public Battalion sent by PNP Region 3 Director PCSupt Aaron Aquino.
From January to March this year, the LTFRB 3 has launched an “intensified campaign against colorum” in Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, and Bulacan. But anti-colorum operation stopped last April.
Iglesia is the wife of retired policeman Tomas Iglesia while the other van is said to be actually owned by a certain police officer Julito Nool, from Brgy Abagon, Gerona.
Early last year, Iglesia gave a team of apprehending police and LTO officials a copy of a supposed Provisional Authority (Temporary Permit to Operate). But upon verification, former LTFRB Regional Director Atty. Zona Russet Tamayo denied ever issuing a Provisional Authority and declared the PA as fake and her signature forged. Despite this, Iglesia continues to ply the Tarlac City to Paniqui route daily.
“They are incurable law-breakers. They have no respect of the law and to traffic law enforcers but we will continue our ‘war’ against these colorum vehicles,” said Sison.
Barely 2 months ago, the colorum van of PInsp Jeffrey De Guzman, along with another, were also apprehended and impounded by Sison’s LTFRB team but De Guzman continues to operate his other van.
De Guzman is an active police officer assigned at the Paniqui, Tarlac, police station. According to sources many active and retired police and army personnel own and operate colorum vans.
Sought for comment, Tarlac-Moncada-Gerona-Paniqui Transport Service Cooperative (TAMOGEPA) chairman Bernie Fajarado said, “Talamak na talamak ang protection racket ng mga LTO sa mga colorum, pitong taon na naming nire-reklamo sa kanila ang mga colorum pero ayaw nilang hulihin ang mga ito.”
“Ang sabwatan ng mga LTO at mga colorum drivers-operators ang pumapatay sa aming lehitimong hanapbuhay. Dapat tanggalin at kasuhan ang lahat ng mga taga-LTO dito,” also said Fajardo referring to the LTO Paniqui Office, The LTO Tarlac City office and the Tarlac City LTO Licensing office located at Metrotown mall where several colorum vans park daily.
“If the LTO people are only doing their mandate, we should not be apprehending these colorums. There are LTO offices here (Tarlac) and we are based in San Fernando City, Pampanga, they (LTO) should be the one doing the apprehending of the colorums,” added Sison.
In Paniqui, the LTO office is located along Mac Arthur highway where all the colorum vans pass daily. In Tarlac City, the colorum vans park at the Palm Plaza Mall, Metrotown Mall, and in front of the SM Tarlac City.