Barkers: A Closer Look at Cebu’s ‘Transport Mob’

“Lahug!”, “Talamban!”, “Lahug!”. One usually heard them on the streets, yelling familiar places in harsh dull voices that is larger than jeepney route signs. With one searching look, they can pass way beyond what their means of living can tell and at one point to some, they come more like ‘snatchers’ than dispatchers.

Ritchie, 36, and Ceferino, 35, earn a living using their voices. Both of them are dispatchers or barkers, who call for would-be passengers for public jeepneys that stop by the corner of D. Jakosalem and Colon streets.

Dispatchers or barkers usually station themselves in jeepney stops and other places where people gather to wait for a ride.

P03 Marlon Abella of the Cebu City Police Office-Traffic Group’s Anti-Dispatching Unit, said there are about 300 dispatchers operating in different areas in the city.

In exchange for calling out for passengers, dispatchers get P1 to P5 from jeepney drivers, depending on the time they spent calling for passengers, as well as the number of passengers they were able to call and placed for the jeepney.

Dispatching or barking for passengers is considered illegal in Cebu City as early as the late ‘50s, through City Ordinance 251 approved on April 6, 1959 with a penalty of P100.

For the past 54 years, however, the anti-dispatching ordinance underwent so many revisions to adjust the penalties.

The latest version of which was City Ordinance 2108, enacted in 2007, carrying a fine of P3,000 for violators, as well as six months imprisonment.

The said ordinance provides that if the apprehended violator would opt not to be prosecuted in court, he would be required to pay a P2,500 fine directly to the City Treasurer’s Office. Once the complaint has already been filed and docketed in court and the violator decides to have the case amicably settled, the penalty is much higher.

The city ordinance defines dispatching as “an act of procuring, soliciting, or escorting passengers or would-be passenger to vehicles whether such act is done under direction of the driver or operators and done with or without collecting or demanding fees.”

Aside from dispatchers, the amended Anti-Dispatching Ordinance also prohibits the so-called “watch-your-car” boys because these persons demand money from the motorists who park their vehicles along the road.

Former city councilor Raul “Yayoy” Alcoseba, who used to be the chairman of the City Council committee on traffic management, believed that raising the fine to P3,000 for every violation may discourage people from doing such “extortion activities.”

However, despite the higher fines and the accompanying prison term, the number of dispatchers and watch-your-car boys has increased over the years.

Despite the increased fines, Ritchie and Ceferino continue to engage in dispatching activities.

“Napriso na mi kay nadakpan dihang mihingusog ang mga polis pagpanakop sa mga dispatchers,” said both Ritchie and Ceferino. Ritchie, a resident of San Isidro, Talisay said, “Wala man g’yuy laing trabaho gud sir.”

Records from the City Traffic Operations Management (CITOM) show that in 2011, there were 924 violators of the anti-dispatching ordinance that were apprehended and charged in court. The number of apprehended violators went down to only 716 in 2012 and from January to August this year, only 330 dispatchers have been apprehended.

“Mobalik ra lagi kay inig-file namo sa kaso sa fiscal’s office pabuhian ra man ang dispatchers kay summary proceeding ra man basta city ordinance. Takulahaw lang among makit-an nga mibalik na ‘sab sa karsada og managan inig kakita namo,” said PO3 Abella of the anti-dispatching team.

A summary proceeding is a court action in which the formal procedures normally applicable to matters, such as conducting discovery, are dispensed with. Although some of the legal processes are dispensed with, certain fundamental rights must be observed, such as the right to notice and opportunity to be heard. The accused is released from police custody and is required only to return to the court during the trial of their cases.

PO3 Abella said the problem is that when the dispatchers facing summary proceedings are released upon the order of the prosecutors, they will no longer appear during the trial of their cases, usually prompting the judge to put their dockets in archive.

P03 Edgar Baton of the CCPO-Traffic Group suggested that apprehended dispatchers should be required to render civic duties as their penalty rather than charge them in court. “Daku kaayo og gasto ang gobyerno pagpakaon ana nila kon prisohon human makonbikto,” he said.

Ritchie said he stayed in jail for five months because he pleaded guilty to the charges filed against him.

Dispatchers do not bother passengers but they are a burden to jeepney and even taxi drivers.

Drivers of public utility vehicles, who asked not to be identified, said they are forced to give coins to these barkers for fear that something will happen to them if they will not give in to the demands. The drivers’ fears are fueled by talks that some dispatchers are ex-convicts.

“Mapugos ra g’yud mi paghatag anang mga dispatchers kay suyakan man ang ligid sa among sakyanan og hulgaon mi nila kon dili mohatag. Daghan ra ba kaayo na sila,” he said.

The authorities, members of the CCPO-Traffic Group, are also having a difficult time implementing the city ordinance.

The CCPO-Traffic Group assigned two teams for anti-dispatching. Each team is composed of one policeman and a civilian driver. The teams, however, do not have a vehicle they can use anytime.

Abella admitted it would risky for them to apprehend dispatchers because they are outnumbered.

This writer monitored the activities of the dispatchers operating in front of a mall along Leon Kilat Street and at the intersection of Colon and P. Lopez streets.

Although there are only three to four dispatchers barking for passengers at one time, one dispatcher usually has four to five companions, including a person who acts as their leader, monitoring the activities of the dispatchers in the premises.

Ang uban diha nga dispatcher, mga kauban nila mga bag-ong laya gikan sa prisohan, moanha ra diha kay mangwarta,” said Abella, who has been assigned to the anti-dispatching team for seven years already. There are also dispatchers who engage in snatching, Abella added.

The lack of cooperation from PUJ drivers is also a problem for the policemen in the anti-dispatching team. Aside from continuing to give to dispatchers, drivers also refuse to execute affidavits to support the filing of charges against the barkers.

Of the 1,970 cases filed in court against apprehended barkers since in 2011, not one driver executed an affidavit against the dispatchers.

If each dispatcher will earn at least P200 everyday and there are 300 barkers operating in the city, about P60,000 is taken from the daily income of the PUJ drivers.

Without dispatchers or barkers on the streets, a jeepney driver in Cebu City can save at least P20 to P30 everyday out of his earnings.

Jeepney driver Roman Abella of Barangay Labangon said he wants to complain about the activities of several dispatchers operating along Colon and P. Lopez streets, but at the same time he is also concerned about his safety.

“Mga maldito man gud na’ng mga tawhana mao nga kuyawan mi og bawsan nila kay anhi man g’yud mi pirmi moagi ug mamik-ap og pasahero,” Abella said, referring to the area along Colon Street where a strict traffic enforcer was gunned down by an unidentified person several years ago.

PUJ driver Roldan Quiros of Barangay Guadalupe said that at first he ignored the demands of dispatchers who asked for money from him every time he passes by and picks up passengers along Osmeña Boulevard and Colon Street. But he suffered a lot from those dispatchers.

“Kada agi nako diha kaniadto kanunay g’yud nga masuyakan ang ligid sa akong PUJ. Nahunong lang dihang mohatag na ko sa mga dispatchers,” he said.

PO3 Edgar Baton of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) -Traffic Group said the presence of dispatchers in a particular area contributes to traffic congestion because the dispatchers ask the drivers to stop and wait for passengers.

According to PO3 Marlon Abella, who leads an anti-dispatching team, he really wants to conduct an intensified drive against these dispatchers but he cannot do it because of the lack of personnel and a vehicle. An anti-dispatching team consists of one policeman and a civilian driver. Another team is headed by SPO1 Jener Abellanosa.

Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella said the best thing to do is to add more people to the anti-dispatching teams to make these more effective.

Jonathan “Joy” Tumulak, operations officer of the City Traffic Operations Management (CITOM), said there are only 230 CITOM personnel assigned to traffic enforcement and he cannot assure he can add more personnel to the anti-dispatching team.

Mayor Michael Rama said he will discuss the matter with CCPO director Noli Romana because he really wants to stop the illegal activities of dispatchers. The mayor said the ordinance should be strictly enforced.

“Dili man kana mahimo nga dunay ordinansa unya dili ipatuman,” the mayor said.

Rama added he also wants to meet with representatives from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), CITOM and a representative from the dispatchers so they could also air their sentiments and ideas on how to solve the problem.

The mayor explained that since the issue involves people who defy the law just to earn for their families and survive, then the government, through the DOLE, should come in to give solutions to their problem.

“We hope lang nga kining mga tawhana walay involvement sa mga snatchers,” the mayor said, admitting that solving the problem about dispatching is not easy that is why strategic planning together with the concerned officials is needed.

“Bisan og dakpon pa kami nila ug prisohon mobalik ra gihapon mi inig gawas namo kay wala man mi lain nga kapaingnan,” said Eric, one of the dispatchers operating along Colon and P. Lopez streets.

Among the areas where dispatchers operate are F. Ramos Street near Robinsons, Osmeña Boulevard near the Department of Health (DOH), Gorordo Avenue near JY Square, P. Burgos Street near the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral; Leon Kilat Street; and D. Jakosalem – Colon streets.

PO3 Abella believes that the government cannot stop dispatching by just apprehending the violators, saying, “Kon pangdakpon nimo kanang mga dispatchers karon, pulihan man ‘sab kana og lain.”

Vice Mayor Labella said he will try to revisit the anti-dispatching ordinance in order to look for a much effective way to solve the problem of PUJ drivers.

“Bisan supak sa buot, hatag lang g’yud mi kay sa madumtan,” a driver of a Guadalupe-bound PUJ said.

Meanwhile, PO3 Baton advised his fellow enforcers not to allow dispatchers to operate near the areas where they are manning traffic because these barkers will just use them to extort more money from drivers.

“Abuga g’yud ninyo kon may dispatcher nga anaa duol sa lugar nga kamo nadestino kay ang ubang dispatcher moingon kana sa mga drayber nga papun-an ang ihatag ug ipasangil nga para sa polis ang uban,” said PO3 Baton, who has been assigned to the traffic group for over a decade already.

Ritchie, a dispatcher, said he does not demand any amount from the drivers in exchange for his services in helping them find passengers. “Kon mohatag og piso, o dos pesos dawaton ra nako. Dili man ko mamugos, kon pila’y ihatag dawaton sa drayber,” he said.

Ritchie added that some policemen use dispatchers as their “assets” to give reports on the goings on of an area. That is why, he said, he and the four other dispatchers operating along the corner of Colon and D. Jakosalem streets do not allow other dispatchers to operate in their area, especially if they do not know the person.

Aside from dispatchers, there are also many watch-your-car boys in different areas in the city. But unlike dispatchers, these watch-your-car boys do not force motorists to give them money.

PO3 Abella, however, warns motorists to always be watchful if they will not pay watch-your-car boys. This is because some of these people resort to scratching vehicles with sharp objects if they are not given money.

Motorist Oscar Lequin from Bogo City said he always gives P5 to the watch-your-car boy with a smile and ask them to take care of his vehicle. “Pila ra man gud na ang singko pesos kay sa kawatan ang atong sakyanan,” he said.

While the anti-dispatching teams apprehend dispatchers, they just spare watch-your-car boys. The teams, however, admit that some of these watch-your-car boys cause problems for parking aides.

CITOM parking aides collect P20 per hour parking fees from motorists, but sometimes unscrupulous watch-your-car boys collect the pay from the motorists without the knowledge of the parking aides and keep the money for themselves.

“Ang alkanse tawon ang traffic aide kay makatapal sa kantidad nga gibulsa sa watch-your-car boys,” said PO3 Abella.

Both Rama and Labella are hopeful that the problem on dispatchers and watch-your-car boys can be solved once the concerned officials are able to meet.