Nationwide Round-Up

Traffic interagency to meet Mar. 26 for anti-colorum plan

MEMBERS of the government’s Inter-Agency Council on Traffic (IACT) will meet Monday, March 26, to plan for the implementation of the nationwide crackdown on colorum public utility vehicles (PUVs).

“The President made it clear. We need to address and finally resolve the colorum problem that is plaguing our public transport system,” Undersecretary for Road Transport Thomas M. Orbos, concurrent head of IACT, said in a statement released today, March 25. Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade, in an interview with Radyo Pilipinas on Saturday, said the meeting would discuss how the different government agencies would coordinate to “run after the colorum PUVs.” Mr. Orbos said aside from setting the guidelines and plan of action, IACT intends to set the protocol for all anti-colorum operations. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Barangay, SK elections to proceed, says Alvarez

HOUSE SPEAKER Pantaleon D. Alvarez said the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections will push through as scheduled on May 14 even as the House of Representatives passed on third reading last March 19 a measure for postponement.

“We passed the postponement before the break but it looks like Senate cannot act on it so it will proceed,” said Mr. Alvarez, speaking in Filipino in a chance interview after the mass oath-taking of new Partido Demokratiko Pilipino Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) members in Sultan Kudarat last March 24. Congress is currently on a legislative break and will resume sessions on May 14. — Minde Nyl R. dela Cruz

Pimentel bares his PDP-Laban senatorial list

SENATE PRESIDENT Aquilino L. Pimentel III on Sunday revealed his own list of senatorial candidates under the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) for the 2019 midterm elections, which included the five reelectionist senators belonging to the Senate majority bloc.

In a radio interview, Mr. Pimentel, also the president of PDP-Laban, was responding to Senator Joseph Victor G. Ejercito’s earlier remarks that the ruling party has overlooked the five senators seeking reelection in its senatorial slate based on the announcement made last week by House Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez, the party’s secretary-general. “He (Mr. Ejercito) doesn’t know what’s happening behind closed doors. Of course, I will fight for their slots in the lineup. But we are still at the stage where we are entertaining our party mates. Nothing is still final,” Mr. Pimentel said. His list included himself, along with Senators Ejercito, Juan Edgardo M. Angara, Maria Lourdes Nancy S. Binay, Grace S. Poe-Llamanzares and Cynthia A. Villar. He was also considering Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence T. Go, Davao Representative Karlo B. Nograles, Maguindanao Representative Zajid G. Mangudadatu, Bataan Representative Geraldine B. Roman, Presidential Spokesperson Harry L. Roque, Jr., Presidential Political Adviser Francis N. Tolentino, Oriental Mindoro Representative Reynaldo V. Umali and Taguig City-Pateros Representative Pilar Juliana S. Cayetano. Mr. Pimentel said he planned to discuss his list with Mr. Alvarez so they could finalize the PDP Laban senatorial slate with the help of President Rodrigo R. Duterte, the party’s chairman. — Camille A. Aguinaldo

BI deploys additional officers for Holy Week travelers

THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) has deployed 58 additional immigration officers to airports nationwide “to ensure that adequate manpower is available to serve the traveling public before, during and after the Holy Week,” the agency said in a statement issued last week.

BI Commissioner Jaime H. Morente said the added staff should “minimize, if not eradicate, long queues of passengers” with the usual increase in travelers during the holiday. — Dane Angelo M. Enerio