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Monday, November 08, 2004
Transport groups in C. Luzon set strike Monday
By Dante M. Fabian
ANGELES CITY -- Public transportation groups in Central Luzon are planning a massive strike Monday to protest the continuous increases in the prices of oil and fuel and demand the repeal of the Oil Deregulation Law.
Waldy Santos, Pangkalahatang Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytors Nationwide (Piston) Pampanga provincial chairman and spokesperson, said the strike will start at 5 a.m. and will last until afternoon.
Santos said the strike will affect major cities and commercial centers in the provinces of Central Luzon as the transport industry workers are demanding government's immediate action to stem the weekly increases in oil and fuel prices.
Santos said the increases have not only dealt a heavy blow to the income of the public transport workers but also has affected even the cooking in households with the sharp increase in the prices of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
"This is the manifestation of Central Luzon people's growing discontent over the continuous increases in the prices of oil, gasoline and diesel fuel in the country," Santos said.
He said major associations and federations of public utility jeepneys and buses have given their commitment to participate in the strike.
"Many have spoken their disgust over the Arroyo regime's failure to ease the impact of the oil price hikes. Instead, President Arroyo answers back with new tax measures that will surely worsen the crisis being felt by the common folk," Santos said.
In light of the strikes, local government officials in the province have asked officials of the Department of Education (DepEd) and various schools in their respective areas to exercise discretion in preventing the event from causing inconvenience to schoolchildren and their parents.
At the Capitol, Pampanga Gov. Mark T. Lapid announced he will mobilize Provincial Government personnel to assess commuters stranded because of the strike.
They will also be coming up with official announcements by 7 a.m. over local radio classes on whether classes would be suspended or not.
Lapid said should the transport strike turn out to be massive, classes in all schools will be suspended.
He, however, has already declared work suspended in the province.
Lapid said there is no need to suspend classes if the provincial monitoring and assessment team reports that only few of the drivers are participating in the strike.
In Angeles City, Irish C. Calaguas, information officer, said Mayor Carmelo "Tarzan" Lazatin has ordered school officials to exercise their discretion on whether to hold or suspend classes.
Calaguas said Lazatin has also declared a non-working day at the City Hall Monday due to the transport strike.
Senior Supt. Jimmy F. Restua, Angeles City Police Office (ACPO) director, said upon the orders of Lazatin, he has instructed chiefs of the five police stations and all other police units in the city to mobilize their men to ensure the safety of motorists and commuters.
Senior Insp. Roland Mallari said presidents of the various jeepney groups in the city under the umbrella organization Pangkalahatang Samahan ng mga Drayber sa Angeles City (Pasada) confirmed their participation in the strike.
Supt. Rosve C. Manulid, Mabalacat Police Station chief, confirmed that intelligence officers and leaders of jeepney organizations also confirmed the participation of majority of their members in the protest actions.
Manulid said late Sunday evening, Mayor Marino "Boking" Morales was holding a conference with other municipal officials to map out contingency measures to maintain peace and order during the conduct of the mass actions.
Among the protest centers include Astro Park, Sto. Domingo, Angeles terminal, Magalang Road, Dau, City of San Fernando junction, Plaza Miranda, and Magalang-Porac terminal, among others.
(November 8, 2004 issue)
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