TRANSPORT group Piston will hold a nationwide transport strike on Thursday, March 19, amid the surge in fuel prices brought about by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
“Ngayong darating po na March 19 ay idedeklara po natin at ilulunsad po natin, hindi lamang po sa National Capital Region kundi sa buong bansa, ang isang protesta at welga na pangungunahan ng driver, operator, at mamamayan laban sa pagkainutil ng administrasyon ni Bongbong Marcos, laban sa US aggression na kung saan ay nagdudulot ng pahirap sa mamamayang Pilipino,” Piston national president Mody Floranda said in a press conference.
(This coming March 19, we will declare and launch—not only in the National Capital Region but across the entire country—a protest and strike to be led by drivers, operators, and the public against the incompetence of the Bongbong Marcos administration and against US aggression, which is causing hardship for the Filipino people.)
Floranda said they will also file a petition before the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) seeking a P5 fare increase to help drivers cope with income loss brought about by the recent series of big-time oil price hikes.
The group also criticized the P5,000 fuel subsidy of the government, saying it only serves as a band-aid solution to the dilemma.
Floranda said there is also no need for Congress to give Marcos special powers to cushion the effects of the looming oil crisis as he mulled the scrapping of the country’s Oil Deregulation Law as well as the suspension of excise taxes, which highly contribute to the burden of the transport sector.
Floranda said there is no need for Congress to grant Marcos special powers to cushion the effects of the looming oil crisis, as he instead proposed the scrapping of the country’s Oil Deregulation Law and the suspension of excise taxes, which significantly contribute to the burden on the transport sector.
In a press conference, Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Brigadier General Randulf Tuaño said they are already in coordination with transport groups to ensure the protest action will be done peacefully. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)