Truckers association endorses Lacuna in mayoralty race

THOUSANDS of truckers in Manila are in full support of Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan's reelection bid, citing her efforts to end years of rampant extortion.

At a gathering of the Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines Inc. (CTAP) held on Tuesday, the group declared its endorsement of Lacuna.

"It was only under Mayor Lacuna's administration, through City Administrator Bernie Ang, that we were finally freed from the endless harassment and extortion by the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau (MTPB)," declared CTAP President Maria Zapata before truck owners, operators and workers during the gathering.

Zapata claimed that in the past, truckers were coerced into paying exorbitant "passing through fees" — P2,500 per truck every month — just to traverse city roads.

Those who refused to "enroll" faced penalties of up to P8,000 per truck per violation, and the payments were often funneled through GCash accounts suspiciously registered under women's names, allegedly the wives of traffic enforcers.

Zapata said that the abusive system ended after Lacuna issued Executive Order 41, permanently banning the illegal fees.

CTAP, representing 1,200 trucking operators and 12,000 trucks that daily service Manila's bustling port, vowed to actively campaign for Lacuna's reelection.