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Sunday, February 23, 2003
Public hearing on smoke-testing useless: drivers
By Christine Mae Pelayo and Avelyn Z. Agudon
PANCHO Paramia, president of the Federation of Bacolod City Drivers Association, said the public hearing on the mandatory smoke emission test, which is set on Monday at the Igmayaan Hall of the Provincial Administration Center, is useless.
“The public hearing is useless because there is already an existing law. Ano pa ang mahimo sang public hearing kay may laye na? We might as well boycott the hearing,” said Paramia.
He added that the group might consider elevating the case in protest to the smoke emission testing before the halls of the Senate should their demands fall on deaf ears.
“If we will not initiate such action, then who will fight against the issue?” said Paramia.
He also said the private sector did not join them in their two-day transport strike as they are “not organized and they have a different objective from ours.”
However, Jessie Ortega, secretary general of the United Negros Drivers and Operators Center, does not share Paramia’s stand.
He said UNDOC will still attend the public hearing despite their own claim that the smoke emission test will actually resume on March 1.
The groups will demand for the smoke emission test’s Implementing Guidelines for Western Visayas which is after 12-18 months as declared by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Gov. Joseph Marañon challenged the various transport groups to express their concerns during the public hearing.
“Dapat i-plastar gid nila sang maayo basi pa man lang pamatian sila,” said Marañon.
SUCCESSFUL
The transport groups said their two-day transportation strike was “successful.”
Ortega made the assessment despite his admission that there was minimal participation of private vehicle owners.
The number of paralyzed vehicles yesterday increased to 90-95 percent, higher compared to Thursday’s 80 percent.
During the two-day strike, public transport groups from the northern and southern part of the city blocked the highways to prevent private vehicles from passing through the city’s major streets.
Militant groups also backed the public utility vehicle’s drivers through a noise barrage.
More than 500 members and supporters of the various transport groups participated in the culmination of the strike yesterday afternoon at the Fountain of Justice.
Ortega said they will no longer concede with the call of Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide for the nationwide rally on Monday.
“Indi na kami mag-upod sa rally kay naka-una na kami di.
Ang PISTON gina-congratulate gid kami for a successful protest,” he said.
The transport groups scored the 10-day moratorium issued by the Land Transportation Office saying that it is just to appease the drivers and operators in their demands against the implementation of the smoke emission test.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod urged Mayor Luzviminda Valdez to clarify her stand on the smoke emission test./CMP/AZA
(February 22, 2003 issue)
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