Watch: Kadamay Slams QC Government for Destroying Colorum Tricycle Sidecars, "It's Anti-Poor" (Video)

About 30 Kadamay (Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap) members held a protest rally in front of Quezon City Halllast Wednesday, August 9, as they condemned the destroying of several colorum tricycle sidecars last week, According to them, the city ordinance that orders the destruction of their source of income is 'anti-poor.' Watch GMA News video below.



"Ito 'yung mga taong nagsisikap din naman, pag sabihing nagsisikap na ang mga mahihirap, bakit hindi sila bigyan ng pagkakataon? Dapat maglaan ng serbisyo, at ayusin, tulungang mag-kalinga iyong LGU sa mga mamamayan, hindi iyong paparusahan na lang iyan basta-basta," Kadamay spokesperson Michael Beltran said, during the protest rally.

(These are the poor people who do everything to survive, so whjy not give them a chance? There should be services for them, and the LGU should be helping them, instead of punishing them just like that.)

Apparently, Kadamay is not favor of QC Ordinance SP2337, a one-strike policy that orders the confiscation of colorum tricycles in the city. Before this ordinance, the city government only confiscate colorum tricycles after repeated offenses, with a violation fee of P3,000. As a defense, QC Mayor Herbert Bautista explained the reason for this decision of his city.

"Ang binabasehan niyan 'yung root measure capacity, RMC, hindi basta-basta nagi-issue ng prangkisa kapag iyung RMC ay lubos na, lampas na, di ba? For example, heto sa kalye na 'to, apat lang na tricycle lang dapat, eh di apat na prankisa lang iyon dapat.” Mayor Bautista told GMA News, noting that there is a limit of allowed number of franchises.

Meanwhile, DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) Secretary Judy Taguiwalo sided with Kadamay in their fight against the destruction of tricycle sidecars. "Smashing tricycle sidecars with a payloader is too harsh a punishment for people who only want to earn a decent living," Secretary Taguiwalo said in a statement, Wednesday.



"(The tricycle drivers) may have violated the law by operating without a permit from the local government, but just recently we learned that several thousand transport network vehicle services (under Uber or Grab) operate without permits as well. Will they (penalize) the drivers and operators of these TNVS the same way?" the Cabinet official added.

Contributed by Abner Esteno