NOTE: This story was first published in The Bohol Chronicle’s Sunday print edition.

Gov. Art Yap challenged authorities from the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to arrest him as he will go to the streets tomorrow if only to prove his point that there is no logic in the move to apprehend local transport operators simply because they were not issued “special permits.”

The governor was irked by reports that several public transport operators might not field their units tomorrow after reports circulated that LTO and LTFRB will have teams to apprehend them after their failure to secure “special permits” to operate under this crisis.

“I’m exasperated,” the governor blurted after he was irked why these authorities insist to stop the public transport movement despite the nationwide call to slowly normalize things in order for the people to be economically productive.

“Will they want the commuters to violate social distancing and jam the limited public transport available?” Gov. Art Yap asked.

“I will go the streets on Monday,” the governor said with a challenge to LTO and LTFRB teams to arrest him before arresting any of the public transport operators.

He told the media of his disappointment that despite talking to DOTR Sec. Art Tugade who assured him that public transport operators will not get apprehended, the local LTO and LTFRB are reportedly conducting highway surveillance to arrest those operators who insist to operate despite the lack of the “special permits.”