MANILA, Philippines – A jeepney driver accused of body-shaming and forcing off a passenger has been summoned for a hearing before the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

This comes after a viral video showed the jeepney driver shouting at a passenger, identified as Joysh Gutierrez, to get off the vehicle, allegedly due to her physical size.

“The LTFRB condemns any form of shaming on public transport passengers, saying its doors are always open to complaints,” the agency said in a statement on Tuesday night, June 11.

“Operators and drivers should be aware not to choose who to serve and could not force an onboard passenger to get out of the vehicle due to body size or physical appearance.”

The driver, whose identity has not been disclosed, and those who registered the jeepney with plate number NWJ 221 – Flora Magtibay, Romeo Guerrero, and Double A Transport Corporation – were ordered to appear before the LTFRB on Friday, June 14. The show cause order lists charges of employing discourteous driver, failure to convey passenger, and violation of safe spaces in public transportation.

In its statement, the LTFRB also clarified that drivers of public utility vehicles are not allowed to increase fares based on passenger physique.

What happened?

On Saturday, June 8, Gutierrez posted a now-viral TikTok video of a jeepney driver berating her and telling her to get off.

In the caption, Gutierrez explained that last Friday, June 7, she was trying to hail a jeepney on a rainy evening. As she was boarding, Gutierrez said the driver told her that she was not allowed to ride because of her physical size.

“Bawal daw ang mataba sa jeep niya (He said that overweight people are not allowed on his jeepney),” Gutierrez said in her post.

The jeepney driver’s wife, who was also onboard, began harassing Gutierrez as well and telling her to get off.

“Ni hindi ko alam kung ano ang nagawa ko sa kanila para bastusin nila ako. Patuloy pa rin nila akong pinapababa kahit umaambon, at kung ano-ano pa ang kanilang pinagsasabi,” Gutierrez said.

(I don’t even know what I did to them to deserve such disrespect. They continued to force me off the jeepney even while it was drizzling, and they kept saying all sorts of things.)

Gutierrez reached out to the LTFRB on Monday, June 10. She has also filed a police report against the jeepney driver for unjust vexation. – Rappler.com