TRANSPORTATION Secretary Arthur Tugade has warned Angkas bikers who “deliberately defy” the order of the Supreme Court (SC) that sanctions await them once they are apprehended.
Tugade issued the warning following his order to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to strengthen its crackdown operations against Angkas bikers.
“Arrest all Angkas riders who will violate [the law]. It is not right that Angkas will violate the law and the order from the SC. That is wrong. When the court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) against DOTr, we heed. We hope that they will follow too. The rule of law must always prevail,” Tugade said.
The high court issued on December 5 a TRO against the preliminary injunction filed by the Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court (RTC) which allows government agencies to apprehend bikers and operators of the motorcycle-hailing company.
But despite the SC order, Angkas earlier said that its transportation service will continue to operate.
“The DOTr strongly urges Angkas operators and bikers to adhere to the high court’s TRO, in the same manner that government agencies dutifully complied with the previous order by the Mandaluyong RTC, which sustained Angkas operations then,” the Department said in a statement
Apart from this, transport regulators has warned the riding public that Angkas operations are “by law, colorum, and therefore do not provide any regulatory safeguard and accountability for commuter safety and welfare.” (Alexandria San Juan)
