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Monday, September 12, 2005
All set for 17-hour transport strike
By Jenny Molbog-Mendoza
THE transport strike is on as more and more groups are joining the mass action in protest of the continuing increases in oil prices.
Consumer Alert leading conveyor Dr. Ruben Robillo has announced that their group will participate and support the nationwide transport strike and people's protest Monday.
Today's strike was set to start at 12 midnight Sunday and will end 7 p.m. Monday night.
The strike is being spearheaded by Pinag-isang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytors Nationwide (Piston) and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan).
"The group opted to participate and support the strike because it will not call for another fare hike but for the government to immediately impose moratorium on oil price hikes, rollback oil prices, and repeal the Republic Act 8479 or Downstream Oil Deregulation Law and Republic 9337 or Reformed Value-Added Tax (R-Vat) in order to protect the consuming public and domestic economy from the adverse impacts of the so-called global oil price crisis," said Robillo.
Robillo cited Ibon Databank's review on the actual pump price movement from 2000 to 2004 and January to August 2005, which revealed that oil products have been overpriced by a total of P6.67 per liter.
It means that oil companies should rollback prices to P6.67 per liter.
Other expected participants in the 17-hour transport strike are: Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap Davao City (Kadamay), Gabriela, Bayan Muna, and Toril Tricycle Federation.
Juland Suazo, Secretary-General of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), and Sammy Lasay, Chair of the Transport of Southern Mindanao for Solidarity, Independence, and Nationalism-Pinag-isang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Transmision-Piston), said they hope to achieve a 95 percent transport paralysis.
The groups have already identified 14 persuasion points or strategic locations where strikers will encourage other motorists to join them.
These locations are in Toril, Ulas, Matina Crossing, Ma-a, Bankerohan, Rizal Park, Freedom Park, Anda, Jones Circle, Magsaysay Park, Agdao, Buhangin, Panacan, and in front of Davao Medical Center (DMC).
In General Santos City, drivers have likewise planned a similar strike as the public transport sector intend to show their disgust over the continued price increases and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's stay in power.
Larry Villegas, spokesman of Transport Integrated Restructuring and Economic Services (Tires)-Piston based in General Santos, said they expect to cripple the transport sector in the whole Socsksargen area today.
Villegas estimates that around 5,000 persons will be joining them including allies led by Bayan.
Senior Superintendent Alfredo Toroctocon, Chief of Police of General Santos, admitted they will be exerting maximum tolerance on the strikers but likewise asked the protesters to police their own ranks as well against any provocateurs. (With report from SS-GSC)
(September 12, 2005 issue)
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