BACOLOD City – In response to a reported harassment incident on May 20 involving operators of traditional public utility jeepneys (PUJs), Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez has directed the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) to take legal action against those found violating the law during the protests.
PUJ driver Charlie Jalandoni, 39, of Barangay Punta Taytay, reported to Police Station 8 that his jeepney was stopped and vandalized during a rally at Bangga Yap, Barangay Singcang-Airport.
He complained that his vehicle sustained damage to its stoplight, headlight, wiper, two tires, signal light, and shifting assembly.
Additionally, Jalandoni reported the theft of P5,000 cash from his wallet during the altercation, although the wallet was later returned.
Mayor Benitez emphasized the necessity of upholding the law and ensuring public order.
“We will not allow them to take matters into their own hands. If they want to protest, there is a proper way of doing so. However, they have crossed the line into unlawful behavior, and we will take action,” he said.
The rally, organized by the Bacolod Alliance of Commuters, Operators, and Drivers (BACOD), was part of a broader protest against the national government’s public utility vehicle modernization program. The protesters are among those who have not yet complied with the new regulations.
Jalandoni has filed a legal complaint against several suspects, a move that Mayor Benitez affirmed as the correct course of action to hold the violators accountable./PN
