Palma: Angkas has practical use for commuters

THERE should be a balance between safety and practicality.

This was the appeal of Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma to the Supreme Court (SC) on the
suspension on the operations of the motorcycle-hailing application, Angkas.

The prelate was particularly concerned over the fate of the 25,000 bikers who have lost their livelihood because of the ban of Angkas.

“On a personal thought, while we are aware of the importance of security, I am also aware of the practicality of Angkas. I lived in a mountain barangay and over there, many people rely on motorcycles and Angkas,” said the prelate, who hailed from the town of Dingle in Iloilo province.

“So, yes, let us be serious about security but let us also be kind and practical about other people who may not have other means of transportation,” he added.

Palma said that he understood the duty of authorities to assess the safety of all public transports, but he urged the lawmakers to carefully study the system with a more humane approach.

The prelate admitted that in his days as a priest, he was discouraged from using the motorcycle because of safety issues, and so he used cars.

However, he also saw the necessity of using habal-habal (motorcycles- for-hire) to reach the remote areas where they conducted mission works and provided religious services to the faithful.

Palma said that in these far-flung areas, the people have no other way to reach the towns without using motorcycles.

Even during his growing years in the town of Dingle in Iloilo, the prelate had various memories of traveling on board a motorcycle despite this mode of transportation being known to be dangerous.

“There was a time when my Mama would go (somewhere), she prefers to angkas (ride) on a motorcycle because it was convenient ug mahangin-hangin (and breezy). For many years, she did not hesitate to say that she liked to do angkas,” said Palma.

Palma hoped that the national lawmakers could create regulations for Angkas and the habal-habal industry that would be beneficial to the public.

“For motorcycles, we know the danger but we also know the practicality (of having to ride motorcycles),” he added.

Temporary Restraining Order
Last December 5, the SC issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) on the decision by the Mandaluyong City Court allowing Angkas to operate despite the objections raised by transport sector regulators, such as the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

The TRO was released just four months after Angkas began to operate again, in the wake of the Mandaluyong City Court ruling that said there was no specific law prohibiting motorcycles from being used as public transport.

The Mandaluyong City Court, in the ruling dated Sept. 6, prohibited the LTFRB from interfering with the operations of Angkas. The LTFRB went on to appeal the ruling before the SC, which resulted in the issuance of the TRO.

The LTFRB filed the case against Angkas in 2017, asking the court to suspend its operations on the ground that it lacked a franchise to operate a public transport system.

Angkas, however, did not wait for any court decision and instead, voluntarily stopped its motorcycle-for-hire operations in November 2017.

Debate
Meanwhile, the opposition councilors in Cebu City continue to criticize the decision of Mayor Tomas Osmeña to file an appeal before the SC to lift the TRO on the operation of Angkas.

Osmeña revealed last Tuesday (December 18) that he would ask the City Council for an authority to file an appeal before the SC on behalf of the riding public regarding the suspension of the motorcycle-hailing app.

The opposition councilors said Osmeña should instead act on a proposed ordinance seeking to regulate habal-habal (motorcycle-for-hire) operations within Cebu City, as well as pass a law that would legally recognize habal-habal’s operation in the city.

Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover Jr. said the mayor’s plan to join the legal battle in support of Angkas and the granting of rice subsidy to displaced Angkas drivers were “just band-aid solutions.”

“Ang paghatag og bugas sa mga (Giving sacks of rice to) habal-habal drivers, it’s only a band-aid solution,” said Alcover.

Alcover was the proponent of the proposed ordinance to regulate habal-habal operations by implementing a fixed fare matrix and to require habal-habal drivers to go through a registration process.

Alcover slammed Osmeña’s plans to ask permission from the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK)-dominated City Council to allow him to appeal the Angkas case before the High Court.

“Nganong di siya mag focus sa pag-legalize sa habal-habal. Duna na may habal-habal, kulang nalang ang paglegalize nila. Ang Angkas, negosyo man na. Mawala ang importansya sa Angkas kung malegalize na ang habal-habal,” he added.
(Why won’t he focus on legalizing habal-habal operations? We already have habal-habal, and the only thing they lack is to legalize them. Angkas is a business. Angkas will lose its importance once habal-habal is legalized.)

During a special session held last Monday, Dec. 17, the City Council approved a resolution appropriating P15 million as rice subsidy for all Angkas and habal-habal drivers operating in Cebu City.

The budget will be sourced from the city’s share from the income of Philippine Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) funds.

In an earlier interview, Osmeña said he intended to provide sacks of rice to all the 6,000 habal-habal drivers in Cebu City affected by the SC decision on Angkas.

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