LTFRB-6 to Summon MITSCOOP Board Over Pay Dispute

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-Western Visayas will summon officers of the Metro Iloilo Transport Service Cooperative after its drivers staged a strike over unpaid wages and benefits.

LTFRB-Western Visayas officer-in-charge Salvador Altura Jr. told Bombo Radyo Iloilo on Saturday, July 5, that the agency initially treated the strike as a case of “abandonment of route.”

Under Department of Transportation Department Order No. 2017-011, route abandonment refers to ceasing service on a public utility vehicle’s assigned route, which is prohibited.

The order also states that a fleet operator can be considered to have abandoned a route if it operates with fewer than its total franchised units for over three months, subject to franchise revocation.

However, Altura said LTFRB Regional Director Richard Osmeña was on official travel at the time of the strike, so a show-cause order could not be issued.

Since the protest was quickly dispersed, the agency decided to scrap the order and instead summon MITSCOOP board members to the regional office.

“It has been a few days, and the strike hasn’t happened again,” Altura said.

“Instead of issuing a show-cause order, we will just summon their officers next week, hear their side and evaluate what needs to be done to prevent a repeat.”

He stressed that while the pay dispute is an internal issue, it should not affect the cooperative’s route operations.

“The cooperative must answer for its issues with the drivers,” he said.

“What matters to us is that routes remain operational. If the route is disrupted, the cooperative is responsible—not the driver.”

Altura ruled out immediate penalties and said further action would depend on the board’s explanation.

“Penalizing a violation begins with a show-cause order,” he said.

“If we haven’t issued one yet and are only summoning them, we’ll listen first before deciding whether to proceed or simply issue a stern warning.”

He added that LTFRB has no jurisdiction over labor-related disputes within the cooperative and only enforces compliance with franchise operations.

“Our concern is that all franchised units must operate,” he said.

“If they have labor issues, those should be addressed by the Department of Labor and Employment or other appropriate agencies.”

“Internal conflicts should not disrupt public service.”

MITSCOOP suspended operations on July 1 after more than 100 workers launched a strike over alleged delayed salaries, unremitted benefits and unpaid service contracting dues.

The protest disrupted nearly 80 buses plying the Jaro Tagbak–Iloilo City route.