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Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Transport groups gear for Thursday strike
By Aquiles Zonio and Bong S. Sarmiento
MILITANT transport groups vowed to stage a massive protest action on Thursday to air their grievances against continuous increases in fuel prices.
The transport strike will be led by the Transport Integrated Restructuring Economic Services (Tires).
The 3,000-strong members of Tires will stage a "tigil-pasada" from 5:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.
Larry Villegas, Tires secretary general, said they agreed to join the rally to call for the scrapping of the oil deregulation law.
Tires urged other transport groups to join to ensure the success of the protest action.
The protest action will be highlighted by the holding of a rally in front of the oil depots in Barangay Bula.
They will be joined in by the Kilusang Mayo Uno and other affiliate organizations of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan.
Tires is an umbrella organization of several jeepney operators and tricycle drivers plying the locality and nearby Sarangani.
In Koronadal, Nestor Lumawig appealed to the riding public to bear with the one-day protest meant to show the drivers' disgust to the rising cost of fuel products.
Lumawig is a member of the board of directors of United Transport Operators and Drivers Cooperative based in this city.
"The reason for this protest action is to let our government officials know that they are inutile in preventing the soaring price of fuel products," he said.
He urged the general public to support the transport strike because the increases in fuel prices affect everyone.
Lumawig assured they would hold the strike peacefully.
There are at least 20 organized tricycle drivers' association, nine of which are operating in the downtown area and the rest in the barangays.
Organized passenger van operators plying the other towns of South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat also expressed intentions to join the transport strike "to let the government realize" their plight, according to Lumawig.
But the largest bus operator in the Socsksargen growth area, the Yellow Bus Line Inc. (YBL), will not join the transport strike.
YBL personnel manager Norlan Yap said while they sympathize with the cause of the transport groups, they could not participate in the rally.
"We will have normal operations during the day of the strike," he stressed.
Yap said it was clearly stipulated in their franchise that they should not participate in "any activity that is illegal."
YBL, based in this city, plies in the cities of General Santos, Digos, Davao and parts of South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat.
(November 24, 2004 issue)
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