AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee, through a House Resolution, urged the House Committee on Appropriations to restore the budget for the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) “Libreng Sakay (free rides)” program and the allocation that would address the current backlog in license plates.

HR 418, filed on Tuesday, Sept. 27, aimed to restore the P12-billion budget for the Libreng Sakay program and grant the LTO an additional P2.1 billion to address the backlog in the production of vehicle license plates.

“I hope that my esteemed colleagues will support me on this. Tutukan natin ito at makikipagtulungan tayo sa mga kaukulang ahensya (Let us focus on this and cooperate with the respective agencies),” he said.

“Sa susunod na taon, ako mismo ang maniningil kung mayroon mang naging kakulangan o kapabayaang nangyari (Next year, I will personally charge them if there are shortcomings or there was neglect),” Lee added.

During his interpellation on the proposed 2023 DOTr budget, the lawmaker underscored the importance of the Libreng Sakay program since it would be a disservice to the millions of Filipino commuters to scrap it during these challenging times.

“The Libreng Sakay program extensively helps millions of our fellow Filipinos,” he said, adding that the program helps commuters, operators, drivers, and transport cooperatives.

“Winner tayo lahat (We are all winners). I am aware that this is not a sustainable program for our riding public, but rising oil prices have continued to exacerbate our existing transport crisis since the pandemic occurred,” Lee stated.

READ: ‘Libreng sakay’ gets no funding for 2023; DOTr appeals to House for help

The weakening peso against the US dollar also leads to higher prices of goods and overall inflation, which also affects the ordinary Filipinos’ capability to spend on basic necessities, such as transportation, and food items.

The lawmaker said it is “wrong timing” to stop the program, which needs about P12 billion to continue, as he promised to introduce amendments that would restore the budget that could extend the program until the end of 2023.

As of June 21, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) reported that the Libreng Sakay program has served a total of 203.6 million passengers.

Meanwhile, Lee also pushed his colleagues to restore the P2.1-billion slashed by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) from the LTO’s requested P6.8-billion funding to address the vehicle and motor license plates backlog.

So far, the LTO still has a backlog of 11,541,050 plates since the government hasn’t allocated any fund for it since 2017.

“This is very unfortunate. It's a terrible situation for both the government and our public. Nagbayad na sila sa gobyerno para sa isang serbisyo pero hindi pa rin nagawa ito ng pamahalaan (They already paid the government for a service, but the government hasn’t fulfilled it yet),” Lee said.

“Obligasyon ng pamahalaan na gawin at tapusin ang mga plakang ito. Isipin nyo: Naluma na ‘yung kotse nila, wala pa rin ‘yung plaka. Utang ng gobyerno ang mga plakang ito sa taumbayan (It is the obligation of the government to do and complete these plates. Think about it: Their cars have become outdated, but they are still waiting for the plates. These plates are the government’s debt to the people),” he stressed.

Noting that the license plate is “one of the important tools of the government for law enforcement,” the lawmaker pushed to restore the budget for it.

“With the emergence of a number of crimes where escape vehicles are being used, lalo ngayong marami ang nauulat na kidnapping, malaki ang maitutulong nitong pagtapos sa backlog sa mga plaka (especially now that there are a lot of kidnapping reported, ending the backlog on plates will help a lot),” Lee added.

LTO pledged that it could finish the backlog next year as long as its requested budget is approved.