MANILA, Philippines -- To protest the unabated increases in the prices of oil and to call for the immediate removal of Value Added Tax (VAT) on oil, regional transport and militant groups will hold a transport strike on Thursday, July 24, an official from the group said.

In an interview on Tuesday, George San Mateo, Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide (Piston, United Organization of Drivers and Operators Nationwide) secretary general, said their regional group Southern Tagalog Transport Sector Organization (Starter-Piston) and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan, New Patriotic Alliance) Southern Tagalog would conduct transport strikes in key cities in Southern Tagalog.

“[This is] to push for the scrapping of the oil VAT and Oil Deregulation Law and to push for a moratorium on further oil price hikes,” he said.

San Mateo added that Thursday’s transport strike would mark the beginning of more region-wide transport strikes from the group to “condemn and expose the collusion of the government with the big oil cartel because the government is the one benefiting from the VAT on oil.”

He also warned of another nationwide transport strike should oil prices continue to increase.