Senator Grace Poe said the absence of a law should not result in the loss of jobs of over 60,000 motorcycle riders in the country, since the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has the authority to allow their continued operation.

Poe stressed this in a statement on Saturday, Jan. 18, as motorcycle taxis have become an essential transportation means for millions of Filipinos.

"Nasa LTFRB naman talaga ang deadline kung itutuloy nila ito o hindi. Pwede naman silang magkaroon ng extension pending the passage of the bill. Sila naman yung pumapayag dyan (The LTFRB is really the one that sets the deadline for whether or not they will proceed with this. They can also request an extension while waiting for the bill to pass. They are the ones who can allow that)," she said.

"Kung kailangan nila ng Senate Resolution mula sa amin para meron silang legal cover, pwede naman naming gawin yan. Iyong Resolution ay pinipirmahan ng mga senador para sabihin na suportado namin ang extension habang ang panukalang batas ay aming sinusuri (If they need a Senate Resolution from us for legal cover, we can do that. The resolution will be signed by the senators to indicate our support for the extension while we review the proposed legislation)," she added.

Poe, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, previously headed the Committee on Public Services that started the hearings on the motorcycle-for-hire bills a few years ago.

She stressed the importance of motorcycle taxis as a safe and viable means of transportation, which has provided employment to thousands of riders.

"Sa mga kababayan, huwag po kayong mag-alala sapagkat napaka-importante nitong serbisyo na ito ng mga motorcycles-for-hire, at hindi ito dapat itigil ng LTFRB dahil lang hindi pa naipapasa ang batas (To my fellow citizens, please do not worry because this motorcycles-for-hire service is very important, and it should not be halted by the LTFRB just because the law has not yet been passed)," Poe said.

The senator said the pilot study that launched test runs for regulated motorcycle taxi and courier operations has been finished and is being used as basis to fortify the bill.

The LTFRB earlier warned motorcycle taxis could become "illegal" if the current 19th Congress ends without passing the law.

Poe said senators wanted a comprehensive law that would cover vital aspects of the motorcycle taxi operations such as licenses, vehicle specifications, discounts, insurance, safety regulations, among others.

"We need to be very specific and comprehensive with this law to ensure we will have a smooth rollout," she said.

"Huwag matatakot ang ating mga kababayan, ang ating mga pasahero o kaya yung mga providers nito dahil habang itong batas na ito ay ating binabalangkas, tuloy-tuloy pa rin po ang kanilang pamamasada at paggamit nitong mga apps na ito "para hindi naman mawala ang transportasyon ng ating mga kababayan (Our fellow citizens, passengers, and service providers should not be afraid because while we are drafting this law, their transportation services and the use of these apps will continue, so that our citizens won't lose access to transportation)," Poe added.

Passage in the 19th Congress

In an interview over Usapang Senado on DWIZ, Poe said that she has spoken with the current chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Services, Senator Raffy Tulfo who said that he can most likely sponsor the bill before the Senate takes a break in February.

"Meron pa naman kaukulang tamang panahon para ito ay maisabatas. So, huwag mag-alala rin ng ating mga drivers. Pero, siyempre, alam ko yung kanilang agam-agam ukol dito (There is still enough time for this to be legislated. So, our drivers shouldn't worry. But, of course, I understand their concerns about this)," she said.

"Itong nakaraang linggo. Sinabi naman niya na mukhang makakaya niya naman ma-sponsor ito. Pero siyempre bigyan natin siya ng pagkakataon din na ibigay ang kanyang official statement ukol dito (Last week, he mentioned that he seems capable of sponsoring it. But of course, let's give him the opportunity to provide his official statement regarding this matter)," she added.