Members of the United Negros Drivers and Operators Center marched down the main thoroughfares of Bacolod City yesterday urging the roll-back of the penalties and fines for traffic violations.

This was after a Regional Trial Court in Baguio City declared Land Transportation Office-Department of Transportation and Communication Order 2008-39 “unconstitutional.”

On May 3, Baguio City Regional Trial Court Branch 5 Judge Antonio Esteves, decided in favor of the Maria Basa Express Jeepney Operators and Drivers’ Association and its president then, Manuel Kitan who filed a petition for a Permanent Writ of preliminary injunction against the directive implemented three years ago, increasing the penalties and fines.

It also ordered LTO, DOTC and all persons and offices acting on their behalf to cease and desist from implementing the directive.

Diego Malacad, UNDOC Secretary General, said the LTO should implement the rollback and penalties and fines now that a ruling from an RTC Baguio has been issued.

However, LTO-Bacolod chief, Renato Novero said they cannot implement the roll back yet as their main office and the LTO are still filing a motion for reconsideration before the Court of Appeals.

Novero said that if the Court of Appeals junks the motion of LTO and DOTC the agencies can still file another appeal before the Supreme Court.

If the SC rules that the department order is adversarial for the transport group, only then will LTO roll-back the penalties and fines, he said.

Aside from the roll-back of penalties and fines, UNDOC is also calling for the abolition of the Oil Price Deregulation law and repeal the value added tax on fuel products and the investigation of the under calibrated pumps of some gasoline stations in Bacolod

A transport strike is being planned by UNDOC and their mother organization, the Pinag-isang Tsuper Nationwide, although the date has not been announced.*APN

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