NAGKAISA Labor Coalition slammed the decision of the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) to push through with the implementation of cashless toll collection calling it an “express way robbery” affecting ordinary motorists and asked toll operators to fix first ongoing system failures.
In a statement, NAGKAISA chairman Atty. Sonny Matula criticized Joint Memorandum Circular 2024-001, set to take effect on March 15, 2025, which penalizes motorists without RFID or with insufficient balance.
Matula argued that the policy disproportionately affects ordinary motorists, workers, and provincial drivers.
Matula raised economic and legal concerns about the policy, stating that it will require motorists to preload into RFID accounts, which he alleged to amount to billions of pesos and “allowing toll operators to hold their money without any interest while motorists struggle with daily expenses.”
“Penalizing insufficient RFID balance means forcing motorists to preload billions of pesos that will sit in the hands of toll operators instead of being used for essential needs like food, fuel, and medicine. This is nothing but a legalized money grab, an express way robbery,” Matula said in a statement.
Under the TRB’s memorandum, motorists without an RFID sticker or with insufficient balance will face:₱1,000 for the first offense; ₱2,000 for the second offense; and, ₱5,000 for the third and subsequent offenses.
“This policy punishes motorists for the government’s failure to ensure accessible and functioning RFID systems,” Matula said. “Instead of penalizing people, why not allow them to reload their RFID later or simply pay cash?”
He further questioned the legality of refusing cash payments, arguing that it undermines the Philippine peso’s status as legal tender.
“If toll operators refuse to accept cash after defective device found insufficient load, they are essentially overriding the law. The Philippine peso is supposed to be a legal tender accepted form of payment, yet private corporations are being allowed to dictate how people must pay,” Matula stressed.
NAGKAISA further slammed the exorbitant penalties imposed under the new system, highlighting that the fines are more punitive than credit card interest rates.
“The penalty for insufficient balance is usurious—worse than what credit card companies charge,” Matula pointed out.
For example, he pointed out that a motorist traveling from Mamplasan in Biñan to Sta. Rosa Exit only needs to pay ₱10, but if they have insufficient RFID balance of ₱5, they will have to pay the balance amount of ₱5 plus a ₱500 penalty.
“This is absurd. Why impose a ₱500 fine for a ₱5 balance toll fee? Incredible 10,000%! Credit card companies charge high interest, but even they don’t impose penalties at this outrageous level,” Matula said.
Matula also emphasized that penalizing motorists for insufficient RFID balance is effectively forcing them to pay in advance for services not yet rendered.
“This policy forces motorists to deposit money into RFID accounts even when they don’t need to use the tollways immediately. In what other system do we penalize people for not prepaying for something they have yet to use?” Matula argued.
Moreover, Matula called out toll operators for “persistent” technical issues in the Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system, including, incorrect balance displays or screen blackouts, unrecorded payments and questionable deductions, and delayed balance updates.
“Toll operators are not penalized for their system’s failures, but motorists are instantly fined for insufficient balance. Where is the fairness in that?” Matula asked.
With that NAGKAISA has called on the TRB to conduct a full audit of all RFID devices before implementing the policy to ensure accuracy and transparency in toll charges.
The labor coalition has formally petitioned President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to halt the implementation of the cashless toll policy until all system issues, legal concerns, and financial burdens are addressed.
