Legislators in the House of Representatives Sunday joined the call urging the Supreme Court to stop the implementation of the 277-percent toll hike at the South Luzon Expressway.

Saying that the toll hike is detrimental to public interest, Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption Rep. Joel Villanueva expressed support to the filing of Albay Gov. Joey Salceda of a petition for a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the toll fee increase.

"The increase will affect the motoring public especially the businessmen, the office employees and students who regularly ply the South Luzon expressway," Villanueva said.

"The government should not give additional burden to our already suffering people by making them pay for the improvements done on the SLEX which is not justified," Villanueva said.

He added that such a hike will likewise increase the cost of transportation and the prices of agricultural products being transported from the provinces to public markets in Metro Manila.

Saying that the move is another kind of “highway robbery,” Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri J. Colmenares called on the new Aquino government to start subsidizing infrastructure development projects like SLEX instead of privatizing them.

He pointed out that President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III should make sure that private firms will not run transportation, communication and other development projects of the government.

"If only the government will collect taxes efficiently and solve corruption, it will have the funds to build and maintain highways," Colmenares said.

Salceda, a former economic adviser during the Arroyo administration, said the improvements on the major thoroughfare do not justify the 277 percent increase.

He said the planned toll rate increase lacked public consultations and that authorities did not take into consideration the concerns of those in the southern Luzon provinces and the Bicol region.

Salceda explained that the sudden and high increase will have its negative economic effect on the welfare of ordinary commuters, traders, producers, consumers and residents of the Bicol region.

The South Luzon Tollways Corp. (SLTC) operator of the expressway has deferred the implementation of the new toll rates from June 30 to July 7.

The Toll Regulatory Board, however, has approved the implementation of the 10 percent toll hike at the Star Toll beginning July 1.

Meanwhile, the Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Piston) is preparing a “dramatic propaganda action” on the first day of the implementation of the SLEX toll hike.

Piston Secretary General George San Mateo declined to give details about their protest action saying that doing so could give authorities a chance to foil their plan. He however said that it would not be in the form a transport strike.

“It would be dramatic. That’s all I can say for now,” San Mateo said in a phone interview.

San Mateo said that public jeepney sector would be affected by the toll hike noting that jeepneys plying the Alabang-Carmona (Cavite) route would be paying P31 with the toll hike, from the old rate of P9.

Meanwhile, those serving the San Pedro (Laguna)-Sucat (Parañaque) route would be paying P10 more from the old rate of P22, he said.

“We’re wondering why President Benigno Aquino III has yet to issue a statement on the matter even if it is the poor who will suffer, which goes against his campaign promises,” San Mateo said.

San Mateo said that they are alarmed with the reported plan of new Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Kim Henares to impose the 12 percent value added tax on toll rates which would result to toll hike in all expressways in the country.

“Why don’t they go after big tax cheats? Why are they passing the burden to motorists and small traders?” he asked.

“Governing the country is not just about banning sirens but more importantly, uplifting the lives of people, particularly the many indigent Filipinos,” San Mateo said.

Piston is among the eight groups which have filed before the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) their opposition to the more than 250 percent toll hike at the SLEX. (With a report from JC Bello Ruiz)