Sen. Raffy Tulfo 鈥� Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau.
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Sen. Raffy Tulfo wants private motor vehicle inspection suspended, directing the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to thoroughly study the scheme and alleviate the burden of private vehicle owners in the country.
At the Senate panel on public services鈥� Monday hearing, Tulfo raised his concern about the inspection, flagging it as inefficient and burdensome.
鈥淔or me, I think the DOTr should suspend this private motor vehicle inspection. Suspend it for now. Study it in order to alleviate the burden of some private vehicle owners. It鈥檚 okay for me to continue this later on, but to those public vehicles,鈥� he said in Filipino.
He then proceeded to question why it seems like private vehicles are 鈥渂eing targeted.鈥�
At the hearing, Tulfo likewise questioned the inspection of vehicle brakes because according to the senator, accidents often happen because of a brake鈥檚 failure.
鈥淭sine-check din ba iyong brakes? Brakes ang importante. Hindi ninyo nabanggit iyong brakes,鈥� asked Tulfo.
At the end of Tulfo鈥檚 prodding was Atty. Greg Pua Jr. of the Land Transportation Office. He answered in the affirmative.
鈥淚yon ang pinakaimportante sa lahat. Iyon ang dahilan kung bakit maraming accident sa kalye. Dapat brakes ang pinakaimportante. Kaya lang po sa brakes, masalimuot iyon dahil tatanggalin, hindi ba?鈥� said Tulfo.
Pua answered on the affirmative again.
At this point, Tulfo asked how the agency ensures that no fixers are getting in the way and paving the way for vehicles鈥� brakes not to be checked.
Pua answered, intending to explain about 鈥渂rake tests鈥� but Tulfo interjected.
鈥淗indi. No, no, not brake test. Dapat titingnan physically. Kakalasin iyong hubcap sa gulong at titingnan kung makapal pa ba o manipis na iyong brake pads,鈥� said Tulfo.
鈥淜asama ba iyon?鈥� he asked.
READ: Group chides DOTr for reviving private vehicle inspection centers
Pua, for his part, said 鈥渢here鈥檚 no capacity鈥� to do such.
This, however, did not sit well with the senator.
鈥淲alang capacity? Then useless iyan. Kasi kanina ang pinag-usapan natin from the get-go, ang dahilan kung bakit maraming aksidente sa kalye ay dahil nawalan ng brakes. And yet, iyan iyong wala? Useless,鈥� said Tulfo.