Ceres buses stoned, tires spiked in Iloilo during transport strike

Ceres bus (Facebook Photo)

ILOILO CITY — Unidentified persons attempted to  intimidate the drivers of Ceres buses who didn’t join the nationwide transport strike on Monday.

Harassers threw a rock at a Ceres bus and placed iron spikes that punctured the tires of two other units in Janiuay town,  33 kilometers north of here.

The rock damaged the front windshield of Ceres bus No. 6384 while  Ceres bus No. 6150 and 6318 suffered flat tires, Chief Insp. Jonah Galicha, Janiuay police chief, told the INQUIRER.

No injuries were reported.

The buses which did not join the strike were on their way back to Iloilo from Roxas City in Capiz.

Galicha said the transport group in Janiuay that joined the strike disowned the attacks.

Edgar Salarda, coordinator of Pinag-isang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Piston) on Panay Island, also disowned the harassment of transport operators who refused to join the strike..

“We do not condone violence. We try to persuade but not coerce those who do not join our strike,” Salarda said, adding that they were also investigating reported attacks and harassment.

Policemen were deployed along the highway in Janiuay after the three attacts.  SFM/rga

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