The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) has sued Meycauayan City Mayor Henry R. Villarica for the illegal collection of pass-through fees, a direct violation of Executive Order No. 41, s. 2023, which mandates the removal of all local government unit (LGU) pass-through fees for goods-carrying vehicles on national roads.
This is a measure designed to lower consumer prices by reducing transport costs and ensuring a more competitive logistics sector.
Mayor Villarica reportedly ignored multiple warnings from both ARTA and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to halt the implementation of City Ordinance No. 350 or “Truck Ban Ordinance”.
While it was intended to manage traffic by restricting heavy cargo trucks, its fee-collection component ran afoul of national law.
