A Filipino tourist shared how a bus driver and conductor mistreated her and the people she’s with when they were about to return home to Manila.
Facebook user Lovely Rivera and her friends posted the story on May 21 and it immediately gathered more than 6,000 shares.
Rivera wrote that they were in Daet, Camarines Norte when they hailed a bus for a ride home last May 19. She also attached a photo of the driver and the conductor in her post.
The DLTB Bus Company was already booked for three days so they opted to be chance passengers instead. She said they were eager to get home that night as they have work the next morning.
“Nag try kaming makiusap na pasakayin kami kahitcenter seat lang, ilang bus na ang dumaan kaso hindi parin kami isinakay, dahil sa sobrang dami naming chance passenger,” Rivera said.
“Then came this bus na bibyahe ng 8:30PM, and again nakiusap ulit kami dahil nga kailangan na talaga naming unuwi,” she added.
They then noticed that the driver and the conductor allowed a woman wearing a short dress to have a seat even without a ticket.
When Rivera’s friend asked about the woman, the conductor just smirked and made a raunchy remark.
It was when they were able to get inside the bus and requested for makeshift chairs when the driver and the conductor made derogatory responses.
“Kung ayaw niyong tumayo humiga kayong lima sa sahig, tapos hihigaan ko kayo,” the conductor said.
The driver then pointed at his lap adding: “Yung isa dito sa tabi ko, at yung isa dito.”
Rivera said they decided to get out of the bus out of humiliation and wait for another.
“If it happens na mga tourists foreigners ang naging pasahero nila tatratuhin ba ninyo ng ganyan? Or dahil alam niyong mga turista kami na galing lang din sa probinsya kaya akala niyo pwede niyo na kaming bastusin?” she said.
The tourist ended her story with a request to the bus company.
“I want to inform that you have a rude and pervert staffs like them. Sorry but if I kept myself silent, they will do that again and again to a lot more passengers then eventually ruin your reputation,” Rivera said.
More Filipino commuters, specifically women, share stories of being sexually harassed while riding public transportation in the country.
There is no specific law yet against sexual or physical harassment in public.
The proposed House Bill 8244 that was supposed to address such issue was already approved at the Lower House last November 2018.
