Barely a few days before the scheduled implementation of the controversial Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) project, party-list groups and public transport associations are giving opposing views over the growing clamor to scrap the program.

Earlier, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) announced that it is open for more consultations with various sectors after howls were raised over the program citing possible violation of privacy rights and lack of transparency of the project.

1-UTAK party-list Rep. Vigor Mendoza said that he is optimistic that the new RFID project can help increase the income of drivers once the colorum vehicles are eliminated and traffic is reduced.

Mendoza contradicted the position of some militant party-lists groups such as Bayan Muna and Gabriela saying the project lacks transparency and might infringe on the privacy of the citizens.

Mendoza also claimed that contrary to reports that there was no public consultations held, he attended consultations held in Quezon City and Cebu in February this year.

Gabriela party-list Rep.Liza Maza and Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casino on the other hand had earlier warned the RFID could be used as “spy chips” to spy on the opponents of the government.

Mendoza said that during the public consultations, the LTO explained to them the potential benefits of the RFID system to the entire transport sector as well as the cost that we have to pay for the RFID chip.

“We believe that the one-time fee of P350 is reasonable enough given all the possible benefits it will bring about to public utility drivers in the long run. If it will last for ten years, it means we just have to pay P35 per year,” Mendoza said.

A transport group, the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng Tsuper at Operators Nationwide (PISTON) also opposed the RFID system saying that it might be used to harass groups expressing legitimate concerns in the transport sector.

But other transport groups notably the Liga ng Transportasyon at Operator sa Pilipinas (LTOP) and the Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations (ACTO) support the project, saying that it will solve the problems of carnapping, air pollution and "colorum" operations.

Mendoza said that among the transport groups which attended the consultations early this year were 1-UTAK, Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations (ACTO), Cebu South Mini-Bus Operators Association (CSMBOA), Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (FEJODAP), Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (ALTODAP), and Cebu Integrated Transport Services Cooperative.