A REPRESENTATIVE from Siycha Transport Corp. (STC) publicly apologized to Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa for the actions of one of their drivers.
Michael G. Canabe, the officer-in-charge for operations at STC, issued the apology during a media interview held at the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-Davao Region office (LTFRB-Davao) on Thursday morning, April 25, 2024.
He expressed regret over the incident and emphasized that it was not their intention to tarnish Davao City's image.
“Kay Senador Dela Rosa mangayo lang pod me ug apology sa nahitabo, dili man pod gyud namo intention nga gub-on ang image sa Davao (We apologize to Senator Dela Rosa for what happened; it was never our intention to harm Davao's image),” he said.
He said that upon seeing the viral post, they promptly summoned the driver to their office to clarify the situation.
According to the driver, while en route from the airport to Acacia Hotel, he suggested avoiding the congested Damosa route, opting instead for an alternative path through El Rio. The driver has since filed a police blotter at the Ecoland Police Station to present his side of the story.
However, Canabe expressed skepticism about the driver's explanation, noting that traffic congestion in Damosa is typically less during the late evening hours (between 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.), contradicting the driver's claim.
He said that they had been unable to reach the driver since the previous evening but assured that sanctions would be imposed for his actions.
The driver joined STC on November 11, 2023, with previous experience in other taxi companies and international driving.
Lawyer Ernest Benz Davila, legal officer of LTFRB-Davao, disclosed that they would issue a show cause order to the operator, allowing them an opportunity to clarify the situation. He emphasized the importance of the driver's appearance to explain his side.
According to him, they are closely coordinating with other law enforcement agencies such as the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap), Land Transportation Office (LTO), and the Philippine National Police (PNP), to establish a system that will help prevent any violations related to contracting and other offenses.
Davila outlined the penalties for violating franchise conditions, citing fines ranging from P5,000 for the first offense to P15,000 for subsequent offenses.
The issue arose when Dela Rosa posted a picture of a complaint from a passenger about the high fare rate of a taxi driver from Davao City.
From January to April 2024, LTFRB-Davao documented 19 reports of overcharging through their Facebook page and online platforms in the Davao Region. The agency also recorded three formal complaints for overcharging in their office, along with violations related to overloading, driver misconduct, and refusal to transport passengers.
LTFRB-Davao urged passengers to report incidents online or through their hotline numbers and encouraged filing official complaints at their office against erring drivers.
To address the increasing number of violations, LTFRB-Davao will hold a meeting with taxi operators at the Davao City Recreation Center (formerly Almendras Gym) on May 3, 2024, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. RGP
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