Thursday, May 08, 2008 Transport group holds picket rally
A TRANSPORT group held a picket rally along Acacia Street Wednesday morning as a prelude to a nationwide strike set May 12, 2008 in protest of government's inability to stop the steady increase of oil prices.
Edilberto Gonzaga, spokesperson of Transmission-Piston, said they have lined up a series of activities aside from the transport strike.
"Naay mga kalihukan nga himuon arun nga makaambit ang ubang mga sector sa protesta. Dili lang man gud ni mahitungod sa mga drivers ug transport groups kundi apil ang tanang konsumante (There are mass actions being organized so that other sectors can join in because this is not just about drivers and transport groups but also consumers)," Gonzaga said Wednesday.
In a statement, the group hit government's "washing of hands" during the oil price surge, saying: "the Arroyo administration's culpability is its continuing subservience to big oil companies and oil cartel."
They said that government's statement that drivers should reconsider their plans (for a transport strike) as the oil price hike is in relation to world market increase implies that government should not be blamed for the subsequent increases.
"Malacañang's comment obviously manifests its washing of its hands off the current plight of the drivers and the people," Gonzaga said.
"The Arroyo government's continuing subservience to big oil players through the Oil Deregulation Law is the cause of our burden. The law is a tool for the big oil players' monopoly and manipulation of oil price and supply. It is clear that the government is inutile in helping the drivers and the people in bearing the brunt of the continuing oil crisis," he added.
The group believes that the government's "agenda" is what keeps it from truly addressing the issue.
"As the pump price of oil increases, the government's profit also increases through taxes. This explains why the government is not adamant in helping the drivers and the people with the surging oil price," Gonzaga said. (GLP/With PR)
