THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is collating reports of damaged passenger buses and injured passengers because vandals threw stones and dirt at vehicles in the guise of celebrating Saint John de Baptist yesterday.
LTFRB Regional Director Ahmed Cuizon said these acts may be criminal in nature and urged all public utility vehicle (PUV) operators and drivers to report the matter to the nearest police stations.
“Once we get the incident report indicating the specific places where these things happened, we will coordinate with the local government units, including the barangays so that appropriate steps will be taken,” Cuizon said.
“We have also called the attention of LTFRB-accredited insurance providers to reach out to the bus operators to ensure that medical assistance is extended to the victims,” Cuizon added.
Cuizon said that insurance providers assured LTFRB of their cooperation. He asked PUV operators and drivers to submit to his office the incident reports on this matter when they resume work tomorrow.
Joy Tumulak, Cebu South Bus Terminal security manager, received reports that vandals threw stones and urine in Lutopan, Toledo City and Uling, Naga City, among others, that damaged units and injured passengers.
Tumulak said he coordinated with Philippine National Police, especially to Superintendent Yape of the Provincial Intelligence and Investigation Bureau to protect the people and to give justice to the victims of vandalism.
Bus drivers complained after their units were splashed with dirty and smelly water and ice by rowdy partygoers during the fiesta last Saturday.
The first to air their grievances were the operators plying the Toledo-Balamban route.
The incident happened in Lutopan and in Barangay Uling, City of Naga.
Windshields of several buses were cracked and broken.
Alvin Calvo, who represented the Calvo Bus Liners, said the incident occurs every year, but they didn’t report to the police because the revelers were not caught. (EOB/JOB/JFT of SuperBalita)