MANILA, Philippines — Senator Raffy Tulfo has issued a show-cause order against the top management of Lalamove Philippines after company representatives failed to appear at a recent Senate inquiry addressing public transport safety.
As the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Services, Tulfo directed his panel’s secretary to summon Lalamove Managing Director Djon Nacario to account for the platform’s absence and warned that continued defiance would lead to severe legal consequences.
“I want the subpoena sent ASAP. And kapag hindi pa rin umattend sa subpoena natin, then magpalabas ka ng warrant of arrest,” Tulfo stated during the proceedings.
The lawmaker emphasized that the formal summons must also explicitly name the company’s owner, stressing that ignoring legislative inquiries would trigger contempt citations and subsequent arrest warrants.
The ongoing Senate investigation centers on broader public safety issues spanning land transport, app-based delivery services, and maritime operations.
Tulfo underscored the urgent need to hold regulators and transport operators strictly accountable for safety lapses, highlighting recent tragedies such as the September 9 fire aboard the passenger-cargo vessel MV June Aster off Coron, Palawan. That disaster resulted in 77 deaths, eight missing individuals, and 43 injuries, prompting lawmakers to demand that safety and emergency protocols be rigorously enforced rather than treated as mere paperwork.
Concluding his remarks, the senator reminded app-based transport and delivery providers that rapid business expansion must never compromise public safety and passenger protection.