Transport groups stage 3-day strike vs. corruption

Transport groups Samahang Manibela Mananakay at Nagkaisang Terminal ng Transportasyon (Manibela) and Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Piston) are staging a separate nationwide three-day strike this week to protest corruption in the government’s mishandling of fuel excise tax funds and flood control projects.

Manibela began its three-day transport strike on September 17, while Piston is scheduled to conduct its strike starting September 18, which will follow the planned multisectoral protest against corruption at Luneta Park in Manila on September 21.

“Tama na, sobra na. Labanan ang korapsyon,” said Mar Balbuena, chairperson of Manibela as he led the street mobilization along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City on Wednesday morning.

Aside from the protest in Quezon City, other members of Manibela are also staging demonstrations in other areas in the country, including Baguio, Pangasinan, Bacolod, Legazpi, Ormoc, Samar, and Davao, with around 100,000 more of its 300,000 members expected to join the strike, which will continue until September 19.

“It’s not right that drivers are the ones feeding their extravagance while jeepney drivers toil day and night just to earn enough for their families,” Balbuena said a day before the strike.

In a Facebook post, Piston voiced its frustration over the burden placed on jeepney drivers due to the alleged misuse of public funds, noting that drivers pay nearly P13,000 in fuel taxes each month, while passengers contribute around P4,000.

“Kaya pala ayaw tanggalin ni Marcos ang VAT at Excise Tax sa langis, kasi mababawasan ang pang-pondo nya sa mga flood control ghost projects nya,” the post read. “Pinaka-malas ang mga naka-modern kasi P23,400 kada buwan ang nananakaw sa kanila gamit ang VAT at Excise Tax.”

Some schools have announced a shift to online class modalities from September 17 to 19 in response to the nationwide transport strike declared by the two transport groups.

Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Chairman Teofilo Guadiz III assured the public that the strike will not interfere with the regular operation of public transportation services.

“We recognize the right of transport groups to express their grievances. However, I want to assure the public that the LTFRB has prepared contingency measures so that commuters will not be stranded,” Guadiz said.