Roxas City Mayor, TFRU Head Face Charges Over Tricycle Franchise Delay

By Felipe V. Celino

ROXAS CITY, Capiz – Mayor Ronnie Dadivas and Tricycle Franchising and Regulatory Unit (TFRU) head Edgar Andrade have been charged over the alleged non-release of a Mayor’s Permit, a key requirement for securing a tricycle franchise in Roxas City.

On Feb. 25, 2025, Rosephine Furigay and her husband, Felizardo, formally filed a complaint with the Ombudsman Assistance Center on Roxas Avenue against Dadivas and Andrade for violating Section 3 (paragraph E-F) of Republic Act 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Rosephine said Andrade advised them to transfer the franchise to her name since Felizardo, a regular employee of the City Engineer’s Office and a resident of Barangay IX, Roxas City, was ineligible to own a franchise under an existing Sangguniang Panlungsod ordinance.

The couple claimed they had submitted all required documents and paid the necessary fees, yet the Mayor’s Permit was not released.

A few days later, Andrade allegedly told them that their permit was denied because they were found to be against Dadivas’ administration, or “kontra partido kamo” when validated in the barangay.

“Why were we allowed to pay for processing if, in the end, the franchise cannot be released due to the lack of a Mayor’s Permit?” Rosephine said.

Another tricycle driver, Neil Arapan of Barangay Punta Cogon, also filed a similar complaint with the Ombudsman against Dadivas and Andrade.

Arapan said he had been unable to renew his franchise due to the non-issuance of a Mayor’s Permit but was not informed of the reason.

Records show that Furigay failed to renew his franchise in 2024, while Arapan’s expired in 2023.

Meanwhile, Dadivas denied the allegations, stating that the non-release of the franchise was not politically motivated.

He said there are specific requirements that must be met before a franchise can be granted, including the ordinance prohibiting regular city employees from acquiring a tricycle franchise.

“There is no truth to this, and it is possible that the complainants failed to follow the correct process required by the TFRU,” Dadivas said in Hiligaynon.

He added that he does not personally handle franchise applications and merely signs documents after they have been approved by the Sangguniang Panlungsod based on the TFRU’s recommendation.

Dadivas also suggested that the complaints might be politically motivated, given the upcoming elections.