San Juan City: Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon on Tuesday ordered the suspension of the franchises of 15 GV Florida Bus Company units after a viral video showed six of its buses allegedly racing through the Cagayan National Highway on June 8.
According to Philippines News Agency, in a press conference at the Department of Transportation (DOTr) office in San Juan City, Dizon rejected the apology and explanation issued by Florida bus. Dizon stated, 'Hindi porke't walang nasaktan, walang nadisgrasya eh ganon ganon na lang (It doesn't mean that since nobody got hurt or nothing bad happened, we'll let this go). I saw the statement and apology of the Florida Bus Company, and I'm telling them now, apology not accepted.'
The company's 15 buses plying the Sta. Ana, Cagayan to Sampaloc, Manila, and the Baguio to Apayao routes have been slapped with a 30-day preventive suspension by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) starting June 11. The drivers involved in the incident were also slapped with a 90-day license suspension by the Land Transportation Office (LTO). Dizon remarked, 'Sa mga driver ng bus na iyon, mahirap mawalan ng trabaho ngayon. Pero dahil sa kalokohan na ginawa ninyo, 90 days wala kayong trabaho at 'pag nahuli namin ang Florida Bus na pinapamaneho pa ang mga drivers na iyon, pasensyahan tayo (To these drivers, it's hard to lose your job nowadays. But because of their actions, they don't have a job for 90 days and if we catch Florida Bus allowing any of you to drive, you'll be sorry).'
The LTFRB also issued a show cause order to Florida Bus to justify in writing why its Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) should not be suspended, cancelled, or revoked for employing reckless drivers. The statement from LTFRB warned, 'Failure on the part of the bus company to file an answer before the scheduled hearing on June 25, 2025, and to attend the hearing shall be considered a waiver to be heard.'
In addition, the company's drivers must undergo a road safety seminar and compulsory drug testing within the 30-day preventive suspension window. The statement further warned, 'If found operating as a public utility vehicle, the buses will be apprehended and impounded by the Land Transportation Office Enforcement Division, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group, and other traffic enforcement agencies.'
