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TRANSPORT groups under the umbrella of the United
Transport Koalisyon (1-Utak) have agreed not to join the
scheduled strike spearheaded by militant transport group
Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operators
Nationwide (Piston) on Monday.
Lawyer
Vigor Mendoza, 1-Utak chairman, said in a teleconference
transport leaders from the provinces of
Davao,
Cebu, Iloilo,
Pampanga, Cavite and Bulacan, as well as those in Baguio
and Bacolod cities and Metro Manila, unanimously decided
not to join the Piston strike.
1-Utak
leaders said not only is the planned strike being staged
in short notice and details have not been properly
ironed out, but also there is lack of coordination among
the group heads.
Before
conducting the teleconference, Mendoza said he first
consulted the leaders of major groups, like the
Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association
of the Philippines, Alliance of Transport Operators and
Drivers Organization of the Philippines, National
Transport Union, Alliance of Concerned Transport
Organizations, Provincial Bus Operators Association of
the Philippines, Association of Taxi Operators in Metro
Manila and other transport organizations.
“Sa
tingin namin ay hilaw ang preparasyon ng isasagawang
transport strike dahil kulang na ito sa paghahanda at
baka hindi maging matagumpay ang pagpaparalisa sa mga
pangunahing lansangan sa mga target na lalawigan,”
he said.
Mendoza
said it should also be considered that the government is
doing everything to address the plight of the transport
sector in the oil crunch, like giving the P2 subsidy and
the provisionary increase in fare for passenger jeepneys
and buses.
Besides,
concerned agencies most particularly the Department of
Energy has not stopped looking for remedies for the
spiraling oil prices, he said.
Mendoza
also cited the Senate’s effort in trying to suspend the
12 percent expanded value-added tax on petroleum
products. |
