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Thursday, December 13, 2007
Police ready for transport strike
MANILA -- The Philippine National Police (PNP) said it is well prepared for any eventuality that may arise from the conduct of a two-day nationwide strike by transport groups.
Starting Thursday until Friday, the transport strike is led by Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Piston) against the series of oil price increase and other related issues that may paralyze public transportation.
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PNP Chief Avelino Razon, Jr. said he has ordered all his regional directors to beef up their respective public safety operations to ensure appropriate level of responses that will reduce the inconveniences, which may be caused by the protesters to the commuting public.
Police visibility
Razon directed his commanders to conduct intensified police visibility and intelligence operations and monitor the situation to identify and neutralize threat groups and their leaders that may ride on the issues, demands, and grievances of the transport groups and launch destabilization and terroristic activities.
He also ordered his commanders to identify leaders and groups involved in the nationwide strike so that dialogues and negotiations with them can be initiated to resolve issues in a peaceful and democratic manner and to prevent the protest from becoming widespread.
Through the PNP Directorate for Operations, Razon ordered his commanders to coordinate their security and public safety efforts with the local government units in their respective areas in order to identify critical road nets and vital installations, which shall be protected and kept operational at all times, and to provide security escorts and support for the buses and other local government vehicles which will be used to ferry stranded passengers.
Razon ordered also the mobilization of Civil Disturbance Management (CDM) units to prevent striking groups from intimidating other unions and private individual that are not supportive of the strike.
Possible violations
The PNP chief likewise directed his men to document possible violations of strikers and their leaders, gather evidence to support legal actions against them and arrest them if they harass or intimidate other groups to join the strike.
"Do not misconstrue these preparations as something that is meant to suppress the rights of the transport group to air their grievances; we are only doing this to prevent untoward incidents that may cause inconveniences to the general public. That is why I am appealing to the strikers not to aggravate the situation and to conduct their strikes peacefully and orderly," said Razon.
He said the government, particularly the PNP, has shown sincerity to address their grievances on extortionist policemen or "kotong cops" and colorum, which is one of the issues being raised by the transport groups in recent dialogue between them and representatives from the Presidential Task Force on "Anti-Kotong and Kolorum."
Razon explained that right after the dialogue, the PNP arrested 11 persons for extortion, axed 10 others, and placed under investigation over 170 persons to swiftly and decisively address the issues of corruption that is hurting the transport industry.
Traffic enforcers
Meanwhile, at least 1,500 traffic enforcers and 54 buses, trucks, and heavy equipment will be deployed by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to various rally points in Metro Manila in preparation for the transport strike.
Piston, which claimed membership of around 200,000 nationwide, is protesting the nonstop increase in oil prices. It is also asking the government to scrap the 12 percent expanded-Value Added Tax on oil products.
MMDA-Traffic Operation Center Director Angelito Vergel de Dios said the agency is fielding its own passenger type vehicles that will ferry commuters to and from their schools and workplaces.
There will be heavy trucks and equipment on standby in case there is a need to clear any barricades that the protesters would try to block other vehicles off the road.
Heightened alert
De Dios said 1,500 MMDA traffic enforcers will be placed on heightened alert from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday to escort the vehicles together with police personnel, monitor the traffic situation as the strike progresses, and dispatch more vehicles to other affected areas according to passenger demand.
"We have established at least 19 locations in the metropolis that may be affected by the protest and we are ready to assist stranded passengers and clear the roads of obstructions just in case Piston would be able to muster enough support to stage a full-blown transport strike," de Dios said.
He said the 54 government vehicles will be positioned at dusk in 19 various routes of Piston in northern and southern Metro Manila ready to ferry commuters and tow away barricades at a moment's notice.
The MMDA has identified several pick-up and drop-off points for stranded passengers such as Cubao in Quezon City, Alabang terminal, Ever Grand Central, Kalayaan corner Kamias and Philcoa in Quezon City, Aduana Circle, Manila South Harbor, Taytay Public Market in Rizal province, Shaw Boulevard, Taft Avenue, Magsaysay Boulevard, and Avenida Rizal in Manila. (VR/AH/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Iloilo. (December 13, 2007 issue)
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