Transport group to continue strike on Tuesday after declaring it “successful”
After declaring Monday’s strike “successful”, a transport group said they would continue the protest on Tuesday.
''Yes, we will continue,'' said Malayang Alyansa ng Bus Employees at Laborers (Manibela) head Mar Valbuena in a Viber message to the Daily Manila Shimbun.
Valbuena said the strike ''was successful.'
''In all the routes that we passed in the NCR (National Capital Region), there were almost no jeepneys plying the area. If there were any jeepneys taking passengers, they would only be very few,” said Valbuena.
But authorities, led by Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos, said the strike was ''hardly felt'' in Metro Manila.
In a report to Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said only a handful participated in the strike.
But Valbuena estimated that around 75 percent of the transportation in Metro Manila was paralyzed.
“We are here outside while they are just staying in the office. First of all, why are they suspending classes? Why are there free ride programs despite then belittling our group,” he said.
Valbuena apologized to the public for the inconvenience the protest had caused.
“We are apologizing to you because this is the only way we know we will be heard. We have written to them several times and have coordinated with them. So it resulted in the public having a hard time finding jeepneys to ride,” he said.
Manibela is decrying alleged corruption in the LTFRB and reported extortion by barangay officials on their members.
“The incident of harassment recorded in Region 3 was properly and promptly acted upon by the local police in the area. There was an efficient implementation of the contingency measures by the national government through the Inter-Agency Task Force on Tigil Pasada,” LTFRB added.
The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) launched a free ride program.
According to the NCRPO, they deployed 17 truck buses, including two buses and two patrol jeepneys were deployed all over Metro Manila.
A total of 88 vehicles from four police districts were also deployed to provide free rides to commuters.
Around 2, 245 personnel were deployed in different areas of concern, especially in pick-up and drop-off points to maintain the peace in those areas.
The Manila City government also provided vehicles for free rides on main routes. These were 20 electric tricycles, two mobile transports, three sports utility vehicles (SUV) from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (MDRMMO), two Manila Police District (MPD) transporters, and 16 MPD patrol vehicles.
It is also monitoring major routes including San Juan-Divisoria, Blumentritt-Novaliches, Nagtahan-Paco, Divisoria-Cubao, Morayta-Divisoria, and Balic Balic-Quiapo.
The MMDA Taskforce Tigil Pasada said the jeepney drivers and operators of the San Juan-Divisoria and Balic Balic-Quiapo routes have declared that they have stopped plying since 7 am because Manibela will be blocking their way. Jaspearl Tan/DMS
