CAGAYAN de Oro 2nd District Representative Rufus Rodriguez on Friday, March 6, said he would ask the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to exclude banning the private use of pedicabs and tricycles in the national highways.
He also vowed to call the attention of the House of Representatives to study in making these means of transportation a public utility.
Rodriguez said it is “illegal” to prohibit the private use of property which are legally acquired.
“You cannot by a memorandum circular prevent the use of property legally acquired. That is in the Constitution, no person shall be deprived of liberty, property without due process of law,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said he would file a resolution that the ban should not be applicable for those tricabs and tricycles used for private purposes.
“These tricabs are legal. They are registered. How can you prevent them from going to Bugo to Puerto for private use when there is only one highway?” he added.
Rodriguez said banning tricabs and tricycles used as public utility to get passengers and earn a living is not a solution to traffic problem.
The Kagayanon lawmaker said the solution is to expand the highways and designate a lane for tricabs and tricycles.
“There are 4.5 million tricabs in the country that are registered and paying taxes so the solution is to expand our highways and designate a lane for them,” Rodriguez said.
Meanwhile, Misamis Oriental Governor Yevgeny Emano said while there is an existing order from the DILG to ban tricabs and tricycles in the highways, different towns and city mayors should study which route lacks needed transportation or vehicles in their locality without passing the highway.
“The order does not state that they cannot be allowed to use the provincial, municipality, city or barangay road,” Emano said.
“I hope that we can have a win-win solution because I also understand they make this as their source of living,” he added.