Five major transport groups split from the ‘Magnificent 7’ transportation coalition after its leaders called for the resignation of Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Chief Teofilo Gaudiz III.
At a conference on Friday, groups Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations (ACTO), Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (FEJODAP), Stop and Go Transport Coalition (Stop and Go), Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators sa Pilipinas (LTOP), and UV Express Federation of the Philippines announced their withdrawal from the coalition.
Left in the coalition are Pasang Masda led by Ka Obet Martin, and Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (ALTODAP) led by Boy Vargas.
The five groups, through its spokesperson Orlando Marquez, alleged that they were made to sign petitions by Martin and Vargas under false pretenses, particularly in calling to remove Gaudiz from the LTFRB.
Marquez said that the five groups will ‘no longer participate in smear campaigns against government officials who are working sincerely.’
He also added that the five groups did not agree with the coalition’s calls to remove Gaudiz, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Undersecretary Ramon Reyes, and LTFRB NCR Regional Director Zona Russet M. Tamayo.
‘The call to dismiss Undersecretary Ramon Reyes, Charmain Guadiz, RD Tamayo of NCR, we are not part of that. We did not discuss it with the group,’ Marquez said.
Marquez, however, also revealed that the five organizations will be joining five other Luzon-based groups to form a new 10-member coalition that he said will be ‘even bigger than the Magnificent 7.’