DOTr dismayed over 2 cops behind colorum vehicles
Published May 5, 2018 01:07 pm
By Alexandria Dennise San Juan
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) expressed dismay that two police officers were apprehended for driving colorum vehicles during recent anti-colorum operations in Parañaque and Pasay City.
MB File-- Arthur Tugade
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade on Friday said that he was saddened over the incident but assured the public that anti-colorum operations would still continue.
"It is sad that those who need to enforce the law are the ones who are violating it. Imagine, instead of protecting people, they are putting passengers' lives on danger through driving colorum vehicles. President Duterte said remove the colorums on the road, and that's what we will do," Tugade said in Filipino.
Tugade made the statement after the anti-colorum operations conducted by the Inter-Agency Council on Traffic (I-ACT) last April 26 led to the apprehension of two police officers.
A report from I-ACT said that the team was conducting anti-colorum, road worthiness, and anti-smoke belching operations past 6 a.m. along Ninoy Aquino Avenue and Medina Street in Parañaque City.
While intercepting motorcycle with violations, the team noticed that target vehicles were no longer plying in the area prompting them to go to PNP Maritime Detachment along Cavitex.
Meanwhile, the team noticed unmarked vans with passengers which they chased but failed to apprehended.
Same operatives went to a mall in Pasay City where they chanced upon another unmarked van carrying passengers approaching the area.
Upon verification, the I-ACT team identified the driver as Police Chief Inspector Juan Saldua Cipriano Jr., an active member of the Southern Police District.
Cipriano failed to present documents verifying that he owned the van.
After Cipriano's arrest, three other UV Express vehicles with various violations were apprehended .
The next vehicle flagged down by the team turned out to be owned by SPO4 Ronnie Arimbuyutan Druja of the PNP Aviation Security Group.
Druja admitted that his vehicle was not yet registered and thus considered by the transportation authorities as "colorum."
Aside from driving colorum vehicles, the vans apprehended driven by police officers were also marked with stickers from the Office of the President.
Both vehicles have been impounded by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
DOTr Undersecretary for Road Transport and I-ACT Chairman Tim Orbos said that he already reported the incident to PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde for appropriate sanctions.
Joint operations of I-ACT and LTFRB led to the apprehension of the police officers, along with 57 motorists apprehended for smoke belching, 35 for violating the “Tanggal Bulok, Tanggal Usok” campaign, and six other colorum vehicles that were impounded by the LTFRB. This was the highest number of vehicles apprehended recorded in a single day of operations.
MB File-- Arthur Tugade
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade on Friday said that he was saddened over the incident but assured the public that anti-colorum operations would still continue.
"It is sad that those who need to enforce the law are the ones who are violating it. Imagine, instead of protecting people, they are putting passengers' lives on danger through driving colorum vehicles. President Duterte said remove the colorums on the road, and that's what we will do," Tugade said in Filipino.
Tugade made the statement after the anti-colorum operations conducted by the Inter-Agency Council on Traffic (I-ACT) last April 26 led to the apprehension of two police officers.
A report from I-ACT said that the team was conducting anti-colorum, road worthiness, and anti-smoke belching operations past 6 a.m. along Ninoy Aquino Avenue and Medina Street in Parañaque City.
While intercepting motorcycle with violations, the team noticed that target vehicles were no longer plying in the area prompting them to go to PNP Maritime Detachment along Cavitex.
Meanwhile, the team noticed unmarked vans with passengers which they chased but failed to apprehended.
Same operatives went to a mall in Pasay City where they chanced upon another unmarked van carrying passengers approaching the area.
Upon verification, the I-ACT team identified the driver as Police Chief Inspector Juan Saldua Cipriano Jr., an active member of the Southern Police District.
Cipriano failed to present documents verifying that he owned the van.
After Cipriano's arrest, three other UV Express vehicles with various violations were apprehended .
The next vehicle flagged down by the team turned out to be owned by SPO4 Ronnie Arimbuyutan Druja of the PNP Aviation Security Group.
Druja admitted that his vehicle was not yet registered and thus considered by the transportation authorities as "colorum."
Aside from driving colorum vehicles, the vans apprehended driven by police officers were also marked with stickers from the Office of the President.
Both vehicles have been impounded by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
DOTr Undersecretary for Road Transport and I-ACT Chairman Tim Orbos said that he already reported the incident to PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde for appropriate sanctions.
Joint operations of I-ACT and LTFRB led to the apprehension of the police officers, along with 57 motorists apprehended for smoke belching, 35 for violating the “Tanggal Bulok, Tanggal Usok” campaign, and six other colorum vehicles that were impounded by the LTFRB. This was the highest number of vehicles apprehended recorded in a single day of operations.