By Jennifer P. Rendon
A criminal case will be filed against the driver caught operating a colorum van in Makato, Aklan, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) announced.
Maximo Manocan, 54, of Barangay Solido, Nabas, Aklan, was apprehended, and his vehicle impounded.
Manocan’s arrest came after the LTO-6’s special colorum team (SCT) spotted a white van with license plate FHP-242 operated by an unidentified dispatcher.
The dispatcher was calling for passengers at a makeshift terminal in Barangay Funda-Dalipe, San Jose, Antique.
An SCT member, posing as a passenger, boarded the vehicle and confirmed it was being used to transport multiple passengers. The driver charged fares ranging from P50 to P150.
Other SCT members intercepted the vehicle in Poblacion, Makato, Aklan.
Following standard procedures, the team asked Manocan to present his driver’s license and the vehicle’s Official Receipt and Certificate of Registration (OR/CR).
It was determined that the vehicle was privately owned and lacked the necessary authorization from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to operate as a public utility vehicle.
Atty. Gaudioso Geduspan II, LTO-6 OIC regional director, said the latest arrest should serve as a warning that the agency is determined to pursue colorum operations.
Geduspan stated they would charge Manocan with violating Republic Act 11659, or the Public Service Act, and reckless driving.
Since June 28, LTO-6 has apprehended nine suspected colorum vans. Seven drivers were arrested, one remains at large, and one was released.
Geduspan explained they released the driver because there was doubt about the van’s colorum status.
The passengers claimed they didn’t pay any fare but just pooled money for gas.
“If there’s doubt, we defer the arrest because the case might be dismissed at the level of the prosecutor,” Geduspan said.
Geduspan, who assumed his post on June 10, has created the Special Colorum Team to specifically target colorum units.
He noted that the amendment to Republic Act 11659 has made colorum operations a crime.
If proven guilty, violators face imprisonment of six years and one day up to 10 years.
A conviction also carries a penalty of up to P2 million, on top of the P200,000 administrative fine.
