PISTON, MANIBELA to hold protests at LTFRB and Mendiola on April 15, NCRPO to deploy 7,000 cops

Transport groups PISTON and MANIBELA will kick off its protest actions at the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in Quezon City and Mendiola in Manila on the first day of its two-day transport strike April 15.

In an interview with Manny Vargas over Super radyo dzBB on Sunday, Mody Floranda, Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (PISTON) national president shared details of their transport strike that will start on Monday, April 15.

Floranda said PISTON and the Samahang Manibela Mananakay at Nagkaisang Terminal ng Transportasyon, simply known as Manibela agreed to assemble along U.P. Avenue in Diliman, Quezon City in the morning. From there, the groups will proceed via caravan to the main office of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) at East Avenue at around 1 p.m.

He said disruption to the commuting public will be felt by 9 a.m.

The groups will then proceed to Mendiola in Manila where they expect to arrive at 3 to 4 p.m.

The PISTON president reiterated that they are not against modernization of PUVs but are against some of the regulations of the government’s PUV Modernization Program (PUVMP) that covers franchises, ownership of new vehicles, the companies where the said vehicles will be bought from and the structure of the cooperatives they are being required to join in order for them to continue operating.

“Ang isang pinaka-ano niyan, sinasabi nila pag-aaralan nila, ngayon pa lang lumalabas ‘yung pagpayag nila sa local (manufacturers of jeepney)…ang isang malaking problema, wala naman silang inilalabas na Executive Order na Philippine Standard Compliance,” Floranda said.

“Sa atin ay malinaw ‘yung ating posisyon na mas dapat ‘yung mga local (manufacturers) ang suportahan ng gobyerno,” he added.

(They claim they will study allowing local jeepney manufacturers, but they haven’t even released an EO on Philippine Standard Compliance.)

He also said his group is open to cooperatives but operators and drivers want to safeguard their vehicles and franchises when they join. 

“Ang PISTON bukas sa usapin ng kooperatiba. Sabi nga natin sa Department of Transportation (DOTr) at saka sa LTFRB, dapat kung…kooperatiba, nakapangalan pa rin sa operator ‘yung kanilang unit at prangkisa pero nasa loob ka ng kooperatiba.”

(PISTON is open to talks on cooperatives. The DOTr and LTFRB even said that in a cooperative, the unit and the franchise should still be under the name of the operator who is already a member of the cooperative.)

Meanwhile, Police Major General Jose Melencio Nartatez, Jr., National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director said Metro Manila’s police force is deploying 7,000 cops to address disruptions the transport strike might cause.

“Mayroon tayong enough na puwersa para maghanda dito sa tigil-pasada,” he said.

The NCRPO head asked PISTON and MANIBELA to hold a peaceful and orderly protest action. he also requested rallyists not to harass PUVs that are not joining the strike.

Nartalzez Jr. said the police at this point are trying to determine the exact number and the exact areas where the caravan will hold its activities.

Furthermore, a top official of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has downplayed the impact of the planned two-day transport strike.

At the Saturday News Forum, DOTr Undersecretary for Roads Sector Andy Ortega said, “Clearly they will not paralyze Metro mManila and most especially the whole of the Philippines,” noting that previous transport strikes failed to paralyze public transport last year.

The LTFRB on Thursday said it would offer Libreng Sakay (free ride program) to help commuters who will be affected in the transport strike.—RF, GMA Integrated News