LTFRB chair, member disbarment sought

Drivers want LTFRB chair,

member disbarred

A group of jeepney drivers filed disbarment case against the chairman and a member of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Atty. Nelson P. Laluces and Atty. Manuel M. Iway, respectively, for grave misconduct and gross ignorance of the law.

The complaint was filed before the Supreme Court by Airmen Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association (AJODA) headed by Glorio A. Garrido, insisting that the LTFRB order dated June 6, 2011 revoked the franchise route of AJODA.

Garrido said that AJODA’s franchise was not the issue of that proceeding docketed Case Nos. 97008398, 2007-000348, 2007-000373 et. al. because the issue was only the application for modification of route filed by another group called “NTESMAJODA” or Nichols Tramo Edsa Magallanes SM Mall of Asia Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association.

Garrrido said that they only opposed the application of NTESMAJODA to modify its route, but the LTFRB touched the route of AJODA.

He added that the act of the LTFRB to change the route of AJODA prejudiced the route of a third-party group that was not even a party in the case.

Garrido added that even if AJODA filed its motion for reconsideration, the same order was implemented by the LTFRB without conducting a route survey and a public hearing to determine the need by the passengers.

Thus, members of AJODA were apprehended by traffic enforcers of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

Because the traffic enforcers were implementing the order despite the motion for reconsideration, AJODA filed a petition for injunction to compel the enforcers to stop apprehending them.

“This case for disbarment is founded on Grave Misconduct and Gross Ignorance of the law and the rule in discharging their duties and responsibilities in relation to their positions as Chairman and Member of LTFRB,” Garrido said.