SEN. Raffy Tulfo conducted a surprise inspection at the Cebu North Bus Terminal (CNBT), and the lawmaker found several violations that caused inconvenience and safety risks to passengers.
The crusading broadcaster-turned-politician warned that he would raise these issues in a Senate inquiry if officials failed to address them.
During his inspection on Friday, April 4, 2025, Tulfo found several bus units that were no longer roadworthy and defective. Violations included a lack of or expired fire extinguishers, worn-out tires, unsafe modifications to clutch pedals, and limited or nonexistent glass breakers.
Tulfo also suggested ending the contract of the private contractor responsible for managing CNBT’s ticketing system due to its failure to adequately care for passengers.
As chair of the Senate public service committee, Tulfo has inspected several bus terminals in the country, flagging not only the facilities’ capability to render satisfactory service to passengers but also defective bus units that still run and operate.
The video of Tulfo’s surprise inspection was uploaded to his official TikTok page on Tuesday, April 8. Terminal Supervisor Carmen Quijano accompanied Tulfo during the inspection.
Other violations included rusting bus bodies, worn-out seat cushions, a lack of or inoperable closed-circuit television cameras, and defective window barriers.
CNBT, located on the SM City Cebu compound in Barangay Mabolo, is operated and owned by the Cebu Provincial Government, along with the Cebu South Bus Terminal on N. Bacalso Avenue.
“Traveling coffins”
At CNBT, Tulfo described the bus units as “bumibiyaheng ataul” or traveling coffins, due to the hazards they posed to the passengers.
“Dapat itong (mga bus) ay ginagarahe na ito, dapat ito hindi na pinapasahero dahil nagbabayad naman nang tamang pamasahe yung mga tawo tapos ito ang serbisyong ibinigay,” Tulfo said.
(These buses should be placed in a garage. They should not carry passengers because people pay the correct fare, and this is the kind of service given to them.)
“Ito yung mga nag-ca-cause nang accidents sa highway (These cause accidents on the highway),” he added.
The senator slammed the fact that some bus operators opted for recapped or retread tires instead of replacing worn-out tires with new ones.
He also lamented the lack of metal detectors or safety protocols to prevent passengers carrying bladed weapons or firearms from entering the terminal’s premises and boarding the bus unnoticed. He cited several incidents in Metro Manila where shootings occurred while the bus was in motion due to poor security screening of passengers.
Terminate contract
He floated the idea of terminating the contract of Topline management, the private contractor overseeing the CNBT’s ticketing system, as it failed to turn on the ceiling fans intended for passenger convenience, while its staff enjoyed air-conditioning.
He also slammed the lack of pushcarts, noting the terminal only had two units, one defective and the other dilapidated.
Quijano explained that she had already informed management to deploy additional pushcarts, but they had not yet arrived.
Warning
Tulfo warned that he would raise these concerns in a Senate hearing if these violations were not resolved.
The senator also discovered the “mouse and cat game” against colorum and public utility vans that do not enter the bus terminal, causing economic loss to the operators who pay for parking inside the CNBT.
In his dialogue with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) 7, Tulfo slammed the agency’s lack of routine inspection and random monitoring to ensure the compliance of the facility and bus operators.
Lawyer Edwin Antepuesto of LTFRB 7 told the senator that the last inspection was last year.
Antepuesto said the LTFRB 7 is scheduled to inspect the bus terminal during the Holy Week, from April 13 to 20.
Tulfo suggested to the LTFRB 7 to conduct regular and random inspections, and strengthen coordination with the Provincial Government to better manage the bus terminal.
Last Thursday, April 3, Tulfo inspected Mactan-Cebu International Airport in Lapu-Lapu City over the alleged “tanim-bala” incident, which the airport management denied had occurred.
On April 4, he inspected passenger terminal 3 at Pier 3 in Cebu City and among his observations was lapses in security protocol of the Cebu Port Authority, which operates the pier, and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), especially in the random inspection of cargos.
He wants consistent inspection to prevent illegal entry of banned items such as drugs and firearms, but the PCG responded that they have limited manpower and K9 units.
Tulfo suggested the purchase of vehicle X-ray equipment and recommended budget allocation for it. / EHP