Wednesday, May 14, 2008 Transport strike fails in Baguio By Ann Marie Malindog
WHAT was billed as a major transport strike fizzled out on Monday as only a handful of jeepney drivers joined the strike of the Pinag-isang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytors Nationwide (Piston).
The militant transport group was supposed to stage a jeepney strike on Monday in protest of continuing increases in the prices of fuel.
Since the strike did not materialize, Piston leaders opted to conduct a march-rally instead. Around 50 drivers joined the march, which started at the top of Session Road down to its foot.
The march-rally was peaceful.
Leonida Tondagui of the Kilusang Mayo Uno said Monday's rally concentrated on militants' call to scrap the Oil Price Deregulation Law, which she claimed is the cause of the successive increases in the prices of oil in the country.
Innabuyog secretary general Mila Lingbawan added that, "the oil-deregulation law is useless. It is only a burden on the people."
According to Piston drivers, they have been clamoring for a fare increase since March in order to recoup their expenses but the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has not granted their petition.
Since March of this year, the price of oil goes up to P3 per liter.
"Fare increase was not yet been approved but the (oil price) increases keep happening," Tondagui stressed. "Even though the Land Transportation Office (LTO) agrees, in principle, with P1.50 increase in jeepney fares, the real issue is the unhampered increases of oil prices brought about by deregulation."
The situation appeared to be the same nationwide.
The Piston transport strike failed to paralyze the flow of traffic in the metropolis, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said.
MMDA chairman Bayani Fernando said the transport strike was able to affect only a small portion of Metro Manila contrary to claims made by Piston leaders.
"It seems the strike was unsuccessful," said Fernando adding that the MMDA readied 30 vehicles to ferry commuters in the affected areas.
But Fernando said they respect the position of the drivers to participate in the strike even as he called on their leaders to sit down and discuss the issues hounding them with government.
