Transport group Manibela joins transport strike

BACK ON THE ROAD / Traditional jeepneys ply their route along Philcoa in Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City on Tuesday, March 7, 2023 on the second day of the strike by some transport groups. (INQUIRER file photo / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE)

MANILA, Philippines — Transport group Manibela will be joining the transport strike of Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide (Piston).

Manibela chairperson Mar Valbuena on Monday said that members were sent to three transport strike centers of Piston, located in Monumento in Caloocan city, San Andres Bukid in Manila, and Marikina city to join the protest.

“Nag-deklara na kami na mag-strike din kami pero wala pang detalye. Baka may press conference kami sa University of the Philippines (UP) [tungkol sa transport strike],” he told INQUIRER.net via phone interview.

(We have already declared that we will also conduct a strike, but there are no details yet. We might have a press conference in UP about the transport strike tomorrow.)

Piston’s three-day transport strike began on Monday.

It seeks to denounce the approaching deadline for consolidating traditional public utility jeepneys on December 31 set by Land Transportation, Franchising and Regulatory Board.  

Valbuena noted that Manibela and Piston had originally planned to hold a transport strike together.

“Magkasama talaga kaming [Manibela] nag-plano [ng strike] ni Piston. Nagkataon lang na may internal schedule sila na sinusunod. Kami, nag stick kami kung ano ‘yung plano,” he recalled.

(Piston and Manibela planned a strike together. It just happened that they had an internal schedule that they followed. We stuck to what the plan was.)

According to Valbuena, the two transport groups might also stage a demonstration in Mendiola.

“Baka mayroon kaming protesta sa Mendiola. Hindi ko pa alam… Baka magsama kami ni Piston,” he said.

(Maybe we will have a protest in Mendiola. I don’t know yet. Maybe we might join Piston.)