AKO Bicol asks Supreme Court to stop EDSA provincial bus ban

MANILA, Philippines – AKO Bicol party filed a petition before the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday, April 29, asking it to stop the ban on provincial buses along EDSA.

In its petition, AKO Bicol argued that the decision of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to revoke the business permits of bus terminals along EDSA is unconstitutional.

According to the group, the MMDA’s decision – recently issued through Regulation No. 19-002 – equals exercise of police power which it does not possess.

“There is no single word or syllables in [Republic Act] No. 7924 (the law that created the MMDA) that grants respondent MMDA police power, let alone legislative power,” AKO Bicol said in its petition.

It added that shutting down provincial bus terminals would be in conflict with the Public Service Act and related laws.

AKO Bicol Representative Alfredo Garbin Jr also said that instead of easing people’s burden, passengers from the provinces would end up inconvenienced. The public were not consulted as well, said Garbin’s group.

The MMDA’s regulation, which is being eyed for full implementation by June, would mean that provincial buses would end their trips at integrated terminals in Valenzuela City, Parañaque City, and Sta Rosa City, Laguna.

But AKO Bicol told the SC that city buses and private vehicles, not provincial buses, are the main causes of traffic on EDSA. (READ: Duterte claims he fulfilled all promises except easing EDSA traffic) – Rappler.com