Wednesday, July 09, 2008 Tomas admits he went beyond bounds
CEBU City Mayor Tomas Osmeña admitted he was “already stretching the limit of (his) authority” when he said he would allow public utility jeepney (PUJ) drivers to collect P7.50 as minimum fare.
That is why, he said, he will have the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) “do (its) own implementation,” particularly by approving another provisional increase.
Osmeña’s made the clarification just as a Capitol official asked whether his move now meant that it was part of his authority as city mayor.
“Kung naa nay ana nga gahum ang mayor, dauban nako tanang law books (If the mayor has that kind of authority I’ll burn all my law books,” said Capitol consultant Rory Jon Sepulveda, a lawyer.
“The fact is, it is the LTFRB that is the duly constituted agency that will determine fare. In the determination of the fare, there is a process where parties are represented, it cannot be dictated,” Sepulveda continued.
“Maybe for habal-habal (motorcycle-for-hire) and trisikad he can do that,” Sepulveda joked.
Sepulveda though admitted that there is a need to revisit the current fare matrix.
He also said that it is unfair to preempt how LTFB will act on the matter.
In explaining his decision, Osmeña said that what he had in mind was for operators and drivers to earn, after receiving reports that 30 units owned by at least 10 operators have stopped plying their routes because of high cost of fuel.
He also said that while before he always sympathized with the riding public, with the City “successfully” fighting the effects of transport strikes, he could not help but also feel for the operators and drivers.
“Technically, we are not strictly enforcing this matter. But we cannot allow jeepney operators to be operating at a loss,” he said.
He also said that the additional 50 centavos to the P7 minimum fare will be so “until we can get a clearer reading on this matter (minimum fare).”
Aside from setting a P7.50 minimum fare, the mayor said the City Traffic Operations Management will also condone penalties of drivers and operators, except for those under litigation.
“Whatever we can do to relieve the plight of the operators, that we will do,” he told a press conference yesterday.
He also said he is in government to serve the people and not the government, which impose “strict compliance with the letters of the law” sometimes to the detriment of the public.
This, he said, when told that the LTFRB is the only body vested with the authority to set fare rates.
He said circumstances change the government should be responsive to the needs of the people. (RHM/JGA)
