PUJ drivers complain on non-paying 'marshals'

The presence of marshals in public utility jeepneys in the city may not be secret after all, and has even created a new but minor problem to drivers.

City Police acting director Supt. Melvin Gayotin, in a press conference yesterday, disclosed that there have been reports that some drivers have complained about "marshals" who do not pay their fares.

Some drivers have gone to media outlets complaining that there have been policemen who introduced themselves as marshals and not pay for their fares.

Gayotin suggested that PUJ drivers should get the names of these "marshals who will not pay their fares" then submit these to his office.

Another option is for the drivers to have an agreement first with the "marshals" about having a free ride otherwise the latter should not insist on taking the ride for free, Gayotin said. The problem of fares is only temporary, said the police official, because the budget for such has not arrived yet.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña, for his part, yesterday clarified that he has not been against the deployment of secret marshals in PUJs for "as long as they have no specific assignments." This means, according to Osmeña, that the policemen will not concentrate on specific assignments.

The deployment of secret marshals was decided after a number of robberies became a usual daily fare but Osmeña said the policemen detailed for the job should not have specific assignments.

Osmeña even supported the plan to issue guns to tanods and let them help the police in the fight against criminals.

Gayotin himself had urged the public to report to the police any information about their neighbors who might be of discredited character so that the latter would be identified and arrested if necessary.

The police official further bared his plan to announce publicly the names of people with standing arrest warrants. If permissible, then he would order all station chiefs to get the names of these people for immediate action.

Meanwhile, the Cebu Provincial Bus Operators group is set to met with Provincial Police director Vicente Loot and urged him to expand the coverage of secret marshals in public utility vehicles bound for various towns in the province.

Group president Nick Villahermosa said Loot's deployment of marshals in PUVs is a good move but its limited coverage-from Consolacion town to Danao City only (in the north) and from Talisay City to Carcar only (in the south)-should be expanded farther.

Villahermosa said the intense operations of marshals in Cebu City might push these robbers to divert their operations through other towns in the province. Although robberies in buses seldom happen, there is nothing better than to be prepared at this time, he said.

The fare of these marshals would not be a problem, he said because his group had agreed not to charge these marshals in exchange of protecting the passengers from robbers.

Besides, even before the idea of marshals on PUVs, drivers and conductors who are familiar with policemen riding on their vehicles provide the latter of free rides anyway. - Norvie S. Misa, Garry B. Lao, and Flor Z. Perolina/RAE