MANILA – Regulators will not “bend too far” to accommodate Uber and Grab, which must submit themselves to transportation laws, a government spokesperson said Wednesday.

The 2 ride-sharing companies have been at odds with government over the scope of regulation that applies to them. On Tuesday, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board asked Uber to explain why it defied a moratorium on the acceptance of new drivers.

Uber and Grab, classified as Transport Network Vehicle Service or TNVS, account for just 2 percent for 21.5 million public transport rides daily, LTFRB spokeswoman Aileen Lizada said.

“Hindi pwede na we bend too far for the TNVS (We can’t bend too far for the TNVS. We must level the playing field,” Lizada told DZMM.

“We will do what is right, whether it is not popular. We will do what is right legal moral,” she said.

Lizada said it was “dangerous (delikado)” for some sectors in transportation to “feel that they are above the law.”

• Uber rues ‘old ways’ regulation as it seeks talks with gov’t

The LTFRB fined Uber and Grab P5 million each for alleged “colorum” or operating without a license. The planned removal of some 50,000 ride-sharing cars last week did not push through after the two companies agreed to further talks with government.

The Philippines is the first country in the world to regulate ride-sharing services. Uber and Grab are especially popular in Metro Manila, where traffic jams and faulty trains are constant source of misery for commuters.