Friday, July 25, 2008 Transport strike kicks off in S. Luzon
A MILITANT transport group said the Southern Luzon protest early Thursday morning will just be the start of a series of region-wide protests culminating in a nationwide transport strike.
According to George San Mateo, secretary general of the Pinag-isang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytors Nationwide (Piston), the transport strike paralyzed 80-90 percent of public transportation in the region, particularly in Laguna Province.
"Our plan is to start a series of regional protests in various parts of the country until the momentum builds towards a nationwide protest especially if the government pays no heed to our demand to lift the value-added tax on oil products and the oil deregulation law," San Mateo said.
He said the 200,000-strong Piston and its allied groups will not stop their strikes until the government meets their demand to remove the 12 percent tax on oil and scrap the deregulation law.
"We will continue to press our demand. There will be no turning back," he added.
San Mateo said drivers have been at the losing end starting this year when the prices of petroleum products started going up due to the failure of the government to fully address their demand.
The Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) recently approved a fare increase that pegged the minimum fare for passenger jeeps in Metro Manila at P8.50.
But the Piston leader said the increase is not enough for drivers to cope with the continued rise in diesel price.
Piston and other transport groups consider filing another petition for fare increase that will raise the minimum fare further to P10.
San Mateo said jeep drivers consume an average of 30 liters of diesel a day adding that at P56 a liter, jeep drivers have to spend a minimum of P1,680 a day for fuel expenses.
Meanwhile, retailers of Petron Corporation and Pilipinas Shell said there is a possibility that in the coming weeks, the price of diesel will be sold higher.
"That's a reality and if that happens, our mother company and the Department of Energy should do something," said Charlie Antonio, president of Shell Dealers' Association. (AH/Sunnex)
