April 19, 2024 - Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil announced that police officers involved in colorum or unregistered vehicles will have to undergo a lifestyle check. This move is part of the PNP’s intensified efforts to monitor police activities and ensure zero tolerance for officers involved in illegal operations.
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Marbil has directed the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) to spearhead this initiative. “If there are really cases like that, we have IMEG to check the lifestyle of the police,” Marbil said during the signing of a memorandum of agreement among the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Transportation, and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority. This agreement marks the creation of a task force against colorum public utility vehicles.
Police officers found engaging in illegal activities face suspension and dismissal from service, in addition to administrative and criminal charges. DILG Secretary Benjamin
Abalos Jr. also revealed that they are checking the involvement of other officials in colorum operations, although he did not provide further details.
The crackdown on colorum operations is in line with Joint Administrative Order No. 2014-01, which sets fines and penalties for violations of policies governing land transportation. For the first offense, buses shall be fined PHP1 million; vans and trucks, PHP200,000; sedans, PHP120,000; and jeepneys, PHP50,000. A second offense will lead to the revocation of the Certificate of Public Convenience, disqualification of the operator, blacklisting of all authorized units of the operator, and revocation of the registration of all authorized units of the operator.
In accordance with the order of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Abalos stated that colorum vehicles must be wiped out from the streets as they contribute to traffic congestion. In Memorandum Circular 2024-26, the DILG chief directed local government units to pass ordinances banning operators of colorum vehicles from using transport terminals within their jurisdictions.
This development underscores the government’s commitment to ensuring the integrity of its police force and the safety of the public. As the PNP and other government agencies continue their efforts to curb illegal operations, the public can expect stricter enforcement of transportation laws and regulations.