Piston rolls out protest caravan against ‘holdap,’ pork barrel

FILE PHOTO. RUDY ESPERAS

MANILA, Philippines – A militant transport group will hold a protest caravan on Monday against the pork barrel system, in line with calls for sustained protests against corruption in the government.

“Piston will head protests in Metro Manila and other provinces to voice out the concerns of drivers and the transport sector against the pork barrel and the [theft] committed by the Aquino administration against the people,”  Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Nationwide) said in a statement Sunday.

On Monday morning, participating jeepney and UV Express drivers will hold a program in front of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in East Avenue, Quezon City before proceeding to Mendiola.

Simultaneous protests will also be held in Laguna, Albay, Iloilo City, Bacolod, Dumaguete City and Davao.

The group said they will launch their anti-“holdap” campaign during the transport protest.

“In the last three years, the Aquino administration made the people and those in the transport sector milking cows – from the relentless overpricing of oil and imposition of 12 percent value-added tax to other fees and money-making projects of the government to supposedly alleviate traffic,” said Piston national president George San Mateo.

He said “HOLDAP” referred to “Humaharurot na pagtaas ng presyo ng mga bilihin at bayarin; Overpricing at VAT sa langis; Lubhang matataas na multa at bayarin; Disaster sa kabuhayan na bus ban at Centralized Terminal scheme; UV year-model phaseout; at Pribatisasyon ng MRT at LRT at iba pang serbisyo sa ilalim ng programang Public Private Partnership.”

[He said “HOLDAP” referred to “rising cost of commodities and services; overpricing and value-added tax on oil; excessively high fines and fees; disastrous effect of the bus ban and the centralized terminal scheme on livelihood; UV year-model phaseout; and privatization of the MRT and LRT and other services under Public Private Partnership.”]

Piston’s announcement comes after reports that the Million People March will hold another rally on October 4 at Ayala Ave. cor Paseo de Roxas, Makati City.

While President Benigno Aquino III had pledged to abolish the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of lawmakers, critics claim the pork barrel system still exists because of the President’s Social Fund and other discretionary budgets. Protesters are also waiting for the conviction of officials tagged in the anomalies.