3-day strike set vs PUV crackdown

Inquirer file photo

MANILA, Philippines — Transport group Manibela will start its three-day transport strike today to protest the directive from transport authorities to apprehend public utility vehicles that failed to consolidate under the PUV modernization program (PUVMP).

But officials from the Department of Transportation assured the public that the strike would not affect commuters, saying there were enough PUVs on the roads and “rescue vehicles” from the government to ferry stranded passengers.

Manibela president Mar Valbuena said his group expects its 100,000 members across the country to join the strike, but the focus would be in Metro Manila—which has the highest percentage of unconsolidated PUVs—with at least 25,000 taking part in the protest action.

READ: Transport group Manibela to hold strike on June 10-12

In an interview on dzBB on Saturday, he said the transport strike would be felt most in Quezon City and the Camanava (Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela) cities.

“To our dear riders, I hope you understand. We will also be negatively affected, our livelihood will also be compromised for three days,” he said.

“But even without our transport strike, many of our commuters have been facing difficulty catching PUVs [since last month]. There were transport terminals and areas, especially in Metro Manila, where there are long lines of commuters waiting for jeepneys,” Valbuena stressed, countering the repeated assurance of transport officials to the contrary.

He added: “It’s easy to say that they (transport officials) are not feeling the effects of the strike because they are not riding PUVs. But many people are complaining that commuting has been worse, especially during this rainy season.”

Valbuena advised protesters not to engage in any altercation with law enforcers.

“We just hope that the government will not provoke us. We have been threatened to be arrested many times, but it is inevitable for us to fight back in whatever manner,” he said.