ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Mark Villar pushes stronger safety measures after string of attacks on TNVS drivers

Mark Villar pushes stronger safety measures after string of attacks on TNVS drivers

Published Jul 17, 2026 02:16 pm

At A Glance

  • Senator Mark Villar filed Senate Resolution No. 527 seeking an inquiry into the recent attacks on TNVS riders, aiming to strengthen security measures, improve law enforcement coordination, and recommend reforms to better protect drivers and passengers.
  • The proposed investigation follows the recent robbery-slay of a TNVS driver in Cavite and the fatal stabbing of another in Caloocan, incidents Villar said exposed vulnerabilities in the country's ride-hailing system.
  • The inquiry will examine measures such as passenger identity verification, real-time trip monitoring, in-app emergency features, and coordination between ride-hailing companies and law enforcement, while Villar also urged authorities to bring those responsible for the attacks to justice.
Senator Mark Villar has filed a resolution seeking a Senate investigation into the recent attacks on Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) drivers, saying the incidents highlight the need for stronger safety measures in the ride-hailing sector.
Senator Mark Villar (Facebook)
Senator Mark Villar (Facebook)
In filing Senate Resolution No. 527, the proposed inquiry aims to examine ways to improve the protection of both drivers and passengers, enhance coordination between ride-hailing companies and law enforcement agencies, and identify legislative reforms that could make public transportation safer.
Villar's resolution follows a series of violent incidents involving TNVS drivers, including the robbery-slay of a driver in Cavite and the fatal stabbing of another in Caloocan, which he said revealed security gaps that must be addressed.
"Hindi natin maaaring hayaang maging normal o dumami pa ang mga karumal-dumal na insidente laban sa ating mga TNVS riders (We cannot allow the heinous incidents against our TNVS riders to become normal or increase further). We must put in place stronger preventive measures that protect both drivers and passengers, especially at a time when criminals are becoming more brazen," Villar said.
As part of the inquiry, the Senate is expected to review existing safety protocols, including passenger identity verification, real-time trip monitoring, in-app emergency features, coordination between transport network companies and law enforcement, and the responsibilities of both private operators and government agencies in ensuring commuter safety.
Villar said the review is intended to produce policy recommendations that would improve crime prevention, emergency response systems, and accountability within the ride-hailing industry.
He added that because of the inherent dangers of their work—since there is indeed a high chance that they might pick up criminals or syndicates pretending to be passengers, especially at night and in remote areas—it is only right that they be given stronger protection and stricter security measures.
The senator also urged authorities to intensify efforts to solve the recent killings and ensure those responsible are prosecuted.
"Ang mensahe ay dapat malinaw: walang puwang ang karahasan laban sa mga naghahanapbuhay. Hindi tayo titigil hangga't hindi napapanagot ang mga responsable, at kasabay nito ay isusulong natin ang mga repormang magbibigay ng tunay at pangmatagalang proteksyon sa ating mga TNVS riders at sa riding public," Villar concluded.

Related Tags

Mark Villar TNVS driver Ride-hailing app
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ static_articles_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.