City councilors clash over tricycle franchise

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Tensions flared again between Councilors Romel Duron and Sedfrey Cabaluna during Wednesday’s session, this time over the approval of franchises or certificates of public convenience for motorized tricycle operators.

The council was set to discuss seven docketed items related to a proposed ordinance granting franchises to 281 motorized tricycle owners and operators under the newly established Tricycle Route Plan (TRP).

During the session, Duron suggested adding specific requirements for franchise applicants, including qualifications and citizenship.

Cabaluna responded by explaining that he had already presented these documents in an earlier session and did not repeat them to save the council’s time.

Duron also insisted that individual franchise applicants should attend the deliberations and take an oath before their franchises are approved.

Cabaluna countered, stating that the operators were already established, and their documents had been double-checked by the Secretariat as part of the franchise approval process.

The council then took a recess, during which Cabaluna pointed out that the requirement for all operators to appear before the council was not enforced when Duron chaired the Committee on Transportation.

“You cannot require me to do things you didn’t do when you were committee chair. Did you check the documents of the owners?” Cabaluna said.

Duron responded, saying, “I asked them to appear. What I mean is appearance. Let’s not be too nitpicky here.”

The council eventually decided to defer the seven items related to the TRP.

This latest exchange follows a similar argument between the two in July over the reevaluation of the city’s Public Transport Modernization Program, where Duron called Cabaluna “too nitpicky.”

‘I AM AMENABLE’

Cabaluna expressed his willingness to heed Duron’s request to require all franchise applicants to take an oath before the City Council.

However, he clarified that the Secretariat had informed him that such appearances are not mandatory and depend on the committee chair’s discretion.

“I am amenable to that, but we’re trying to reduce the burden on our drivers. Appearing before the council would take half a day away from their work, which may not be necessary given what’s already been done,” Cabaluna said.

“They were here when they applied, and their units were inspected, so I hoped that would be sufficient,” he added.

Only the presidents of the Tricycle Operators/Drivers Association and some of its members attended Wednesday’s session.

Cabaluna promised to comply with the attendance requirement, noting that Duron appeared to have dropped the idea of checking all the applicants’ documents.

He also emphasized that the ordinance he drafted was based on Duron’s earlier ordinance, with added provisions such as unit inspections and penalties.

“The format is largely the same. The driver details asked for are the same as in the old ordinance,” he said.

Cabaluna noted that his relationship with Duron remains civil and hoped the councilor’s remarks toward his committee were not personal.

Regarding Duron’s past gender-related insults, Cabaluna said such derogatory statements have no place in a legislative body.

“You just respond with love. That’s what we should do when faced with accusations,” he said.