MANILA - Senator Grace Poe is set to call officials of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) for an "urgent meeting" after the agency suspended Uber operations.

In a statement Tuesday, Poe called the penalty imposed by LTFRB on Uber "cruel and absurd," as it disenfranchises thousands of commuters who rely on the ride-sharing services daily.

"I am aghast that this agency that committed before the Senate to resolve the issues has just imposed a cure that will only make the disease much worse," she said.

"The suspension order is a defiance of the LTFRB officials' commitment to provide a solution to the issues surrounding TNVS operations that will be for the benefit of the riding public," she added.

BASAHIN: Sen. Poe, ipatatawag bukas ang LTFRB kaugnay sa suspensiyon ng Uber pic.twitter.com/UKxpFSjOnf

— Zandro Ochona (@ZandroDZMM) August 14, 2017

The LTFRB yesterday suspended the accreditation and operations of Uber for one month for violating an order prohibiting it from accrediting additional Transport Network Vehicles.

Uber said it began serving Tuesday the 1-month suspension. "We understand that this will impact thousands of riders and drivers, and we apologize for the inconvenience this will cause," it said.

• Uber suspends operations after gov't order

Poe said the interest of the riding public should have been the priority of the LTFRB when it came out with a ruling, stressing that the one-month suspension is too long.

"Our people deserve to have options when it comes to choosing convenient, safe, and reliable transportation services to brave the daily punishing traffic jam," she said.