|
Monday, November 14, 2005
Transport group vows near paralysis in strike
By Danilo V. Adorador III
DESPITE disunity among local transport groups, transport leader Virgilio Valmoria vowed Monday's strike will cripple Cagayan de Oro's transport system by 95 percent.
Valmoria said the nationwide transport strike will be primarily anchored on oil tax and deregulation issues, even as he reiterated their call for a salary increase.
In a television interview Saturday evening, Valmoria, who heads the moderate Transport Federation of Cagayan de Oro (Trafeco), also lashed out at Cagayan de Oro's lone district representative, Constantino Jaraula, "for not doing anything about the transport sector in Congress."
"Our congressman here (Jaraula) seems to be unconcerned with the plight of the transport sector because he has not passed any laws to our benefit," he said.
To ensure that transport sector is protected, Valmoria said the National Transport Union (NTU), a nationwide transport alliance, may field in a party-list candidate in the next elections.
Valmoria also clarified that Trafeco was not entirely against the newly implemented Reformed Value Added Tax (RVAT) but was opposed only on the imposition of additional taxes on oil products.
RVAT's effects on the oil industry are always passed on to the transport sector, he said.
The oil deregulation law should also be abolished to re-instate government's control on oil prices, he said. "After years of deregulating petroleum products, it has so far proved to be of no use to the transport sector, useless after years of implementation."
Meanwhile, Valmoria also expressed confidence that their group would still be able to carry out a "maximum effect" on all public transport system in the city and the surrounding areas sans the participation of its rival Solidarity Transport Alliance in Region 10 (Starex).
He also assured authorities that strikers will not plant spikes on national roads or hamper traffic flow by putting-up barricades on the streets.
Participants will instead put up choke points on all major routes to convince other drivers to join the transport stoppage, he said.
Trafeco and Starex have been at odds with each other, alternately not participating in each other's transport stoppage declarations.
The Starex-led transport strike last September was only able to paralyze 10-15 percent of vehicular traffic in the city and neighboring Misamis Oriental muncipalities.
Starex, the minor group among the two, had accused Valmoria of being pro-government, a claim the latter denied.
The Department of Education (DepEd) 10 regional office said classes in public schools will not be suspended Monday.
DepEd Regional Director Jesus Taberdo said there was no order from DepEd's national office to suspend classes but added that he was leaving the decision to school principals.
(November 14, 2005 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
|
