MANILA - The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Friday said it would not be able to resume the fuel subsidy distribution for transport drivers without an official communication from the Commission of Elections (Comelec).

The poll body on Thursday announced the exemption of the government's fuel subsidy program from the election spending ban, after LTFRB's appeal in late March. A copy of the decision could be released Friday or on Monday, LTFRB Executive Director Kristina Cassion said.

• Ilang tsuper umangal na wala silang natanggap na fuel subsidy

LTFRB is "ready to implement" the program once it receives a copy of the Comelec's decision.

"Inaantay lang po natin yung copy ng decision ng Comelec kasi until now wala tayong signed copy... kailangan natin ipadala mismo yung decision ng Comelec na pinapayagan tayo para makapag-resume sila ng crediting sa accounts," said Cassion in a public briefing.

(We are just waiting for the copy of Comelec's decision because until now, we do not have a signed copy. We need to forward that decision so we can resume to crediting the accounts.)

"Rest assured nagkaroon tayo ng negotiation with Landbank na i-transmit pa rin natin yung ating payrolls, authority to debit advice, and mayroong ita-transmit ngayon, kapag lumabas na (decision) at naibigay na natin kay Landbank yung kopya ng desisyon then that's the time na i-credit na nila," she added.

(We already had a negotiation with Landbank to transmit the payrolls, and authority to debit. We can transmit now but a copy of the decision must be sent first to Landbank.)

• Comelec warns officials vs. abusing fuel subsidy exemption

Before the suspension, Cassion said LTFRB was able to distribute P6,500 fuel subsidy to some 110,000 public transport drivers. There are about 377,000 program beneficiaries, the agency earlier said.

• DBM: P3K for farmers, P6.5K for drivers on fuel subsidy

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier approved some P5 billion worth of fuel subsidies for the transportation sector amid rising fuel prices.

• NEDA bats for over P6 billion in fuel subsidy, discount amid Ukraine crisis

Another tranche is expected to be released to public transport drivers this month.

Watch more News on iWantTFC

Video from PTV