Marcos wants justice for victims of road crashes
THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) is implementing a mandatory drug and alcohol test on drivers of public utility vehicles (PUV) every six months in response to a series of deadly vehicular accidents that have left numerous people dead.
Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon, in a briefing yesterday, said the new policy forms part of several initiatives to address road safety.
He said he has received instructions from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to ensure that justice is served for the victims of the recent spate of crashes that resulted in fatalities, including children.
The DOTr has released Department Order 2005-008 which stipulates that PUV drivers, including motorcycle taxi riders, shall be subject to regular mandatory drug testing before they are employed. The cost will be shouldered by the operators and owners of the vehicles.
“The new order underscores the government’s commitment to implementing a stricter road safety plan nationwide pursuant to the President’s directive to make the country’s roads safe again,” the DOTr said in a social media post.
Under the order, PUV operators are obliged to ensure that “all their drivers are free from the use of drugs, alcohol, or other similar substances before employment, dispatch, deployment, or before drivers are allowed to operate the vehicles.”
PUV operators are likewise required to test their drivers within eight hours after a major traffic citation, “absent the administration of a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and/or standard drug screening test of a law enforcement officer upon the issuance of the citation.”
Dizon said that apart from the regular mandatory alcohol and drug tests, he is requiring bus companies to limit the driving hours of their drivers to four from the current six, strictly enforce road safety checks for all vehicles, and the immediate implementation of the speed limiter law.
Dizon said the DOTr will also implement an immediate 90-day suspension of abusive motorists as reported by concerned citizens.
“From the President himself, we must get these families justice and the justice that they deserve. Kung akala ninyo nagbibiro kami, nagkakamali kayo. Seseryosohin at totohanin na natin ito. Wala na ‘yung dating sistema because obviously the system is broken. Buhay ito (If you think we are kidding, you are wrong. We are serious because lives are at stake). We need to make the people feel safe on our roads again,” Dizon said.
The new policy comes after the deadly smash-up involving a bus of transport company Solid North Transit Inc., which left 10 people dead, including six children, and injured 37 others last Thursday.
Police investigation showed the Solid North bus hit a vehicle in a queue at the Tarlac City toll plaza of the Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), leading to a series of crashes involving three other vehicles.
Solid North’s operation was suspended due to the incident.
Last Sunday, two people, including a 5-year-old girl, died when a sports utility vehicle crashed into the entrance of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1’s departure area in Parañaque City.
PALACE DIRECTIVE
Marcos wants the drivers responsible for the recent accidents at SCTEX and the NAIA Terminal 1 held accountable, as he directed the DOTr and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to implement necessary reforms to prevent a repeat of the incidents.
Marcos also ordered the DOTr to review driver licensing to ensure that only fit, capable, and responsible individuals, whether driving public or private vehicles, are allowed on the roads and conduct a nationwide audit of bus operators.
He wants those who fail to comply with safety and maintenance standards to be sanctioned.
The President also instructed DOLE to crack down on unsafe and exploitative practices in the transport sector due to driver fatigue, long hours, and pressure to meet quotas.
Marcos, in a video message released yesterday, extended his heartfelt condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones, and to those who were injured in the SCTEX toll plaza and NAIA Terminal 1 accidents.
Marcos said 10 lives were lost in the collision in Tarlac and two others in the airport accident, which “should never have happened.”
“And now, we will ensure they never happen again,” he said.
“We owe it to the victims and their families to act—not only with sympathy, but with resolve. These lives will not be lost in vain. We will make the changes that need to be made. We will demand accountability where it is due. And we will build a transport system that truly protects Filipino people,” he added.
The President said he directed Dizon to move decisively to “identify and hold accountable those responsible, and second, to put in place the necessary reforms to prevent further loss of life.”
DMW WEIGHS IN
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said it will assist the overseas Filipino worker (OFW) whose five-year-old daughter was killed at NAIA.
In a statement, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said they are prepared to assist the OFW, whose wife was also hospitalized and is presently in critical condition, and his mother, who was also injured but is now out of harm’s way.
“The DMW and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration have commenced providing the necessary assistance and support to the bereaved OFW, his injured wife, and mother,” said Cacdac, adding the department will aid the OFW in contacting his Europe-based employer.
“The Department stands ready to assist the OFW in terms of explaining his absence from work to his current overseas employer,” he said.
Cacdac said they are one with the OFW in calling for justice over the tragedy.
ANTIPOLO MISHAP
Five persons were wounded in a road mishap involving a passenger jeep and a motorcycle in Antipolo City last Saturday night.
Lt. Col. Ryan Manongdo, local police chief, said most of the victims sustained light injuries and were later released from the hospital. All were passengers of the jeepney.
The jeep driver was arrested and will face reckless imprudence resulting in multiple physical injuries.
Investigation showed the driver of the jeep, heading toward Cogeo from Cubao, lost control when a motorcycle swerved into its path and crashed into concrete barriers.
The incident happened on Marcos Highway in Barangay Mayamot at around 7 p.m.
SARA’S TAKE
Vice President Sara Duterte said ensuring road safety is the responsibility of all, not just traffic enforcers.
“Ang road safety ay hindi lang trabaho ng traffic enforcers. Tungkulin ito ng bawat isang mamamayan, pribadong sektor, at pamahalaan (Road safety is not only the job of traffic enforcers. It is the job of every citizen, the private sector and the government),” she said in a statement as the commemorated the Land Transportation Safety Month.
Duterte noted that in 2021 alone, 11,000 people died in road accidents, mostly pedestrians, motorists, cyclists, and tricycle passengers. Many of the victims were aged between 15 and 29.
“Mga kababayan, sumunod tayo sa batas-trapiko. Gamitin ang tamang tawiran. Iwasan ang paggamit ng cellphone habang nagmamaneho o naglalakad. At i-report agad ang mga panganib sa daan. Simpleng disiplina, malaking ambag sa kaligtasan (My countrymen, let’s abide by traffic rules. Use pedestrian lanes. Avoid using cellphones while driving or walking. Immediately report road hazards. A simple act of discipline helps a lot in ensuring safety),” the Vice President said.
She urged the private sector to ensure that drivers have been properly trained and that their vehicles are well-maintained. She also reminded them to take road safety measures seriously, pointing out that “not only are your employees protected but everyone in the streets.”
Duterte said the government has the duty to ensure that public infrastructures are safe, strictly implement traffic laws and disseminate information about road safety.
“Ngayong Land Transportation Safety Month, magtulungan tayo para sa mas ligtas, mas maayos na biyahe para sa lahat (This Land Transportation Safety Month, let’s help each other to ensure safe and smooth travels for all of us),” she said. – With Jocelyn Montemayor, Christian Oineza, Gerard Naval, and Wendell Vigilia
