Truck smuggling people out of Bicol busted in CamSur

Authorities in Del Gallego, Camarines Sur on Tuesday busted a truck supposedly smuggling people without the required documentation out of Bicol.

According to Ian Cruz’s report on “24 Oras,” investigation showed that illegal dispatchers will look for passengers on social media. Upon confirmation of the booking, the passengers will then be picked up by a colorum vehicle.

After passing the checkpoint, the passengers would then exit the vehicle and get on colorum vans, which would then bring them to their respective provinces.

“Diretsyo na kayo sa loob ng van, ‘yung sakay diretsyo na. ‘Wag na kayo magtambay dito, diretsyo na kayo sakay,” a man could be heard saying in the video as people got down from the truck

[Head straight to the van, passengers should go straight to the van. Don’t linger here.]

Authorities said the truck may not have been inspected as it showed documents saying that it was carrying fish products.

Vehicles carrying essential goods are exempted under the guidelines of the Inter-Agency Task Force.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade called the video "COVID-19 smuggling" because of the smuggling of individuals who have yet to get tests.

“Bakit nila gagawin ‘yan? Hindi nila alam na kinukomprumiso at nilalagay nila sa alanganin ang kalusugan at kabuhayan ng mga tao sa kapaligiran at sambayanan?” he said.

[Why are they doing that? Don’t they know that they are endangering the health and livelihood of everyone?]

Tugade said that such illegal operations were one of the main reasons for the transmission of the illness.

“These things must not be tolerated. Let’s move strong on this!” he said.

“Lahat ng paghihirap natin sa testing, isolation, at treatment, mawawala dahil dito sa mga kagaguhan at kalokohan na ginagawa dito,” he added.

[All our efforts in testing, isolation, and treatment will be gone because of their wrongdoings.]

The Land Transportation Office has filed a show-cause order against the driver of the truck. — Joahna Lei Casilao/BM, GMA News