Jeep strike cripples transport

Thousands of commuters were stranded, commercial activities slowed down and classes were suspended in some parts of the country as jeepney drivers went on strike yesterday in Metro Manila and major cities to press for an increase in transport fares.

Strikers claimed to have paralyzed at least 90 percent of transportation services in parts of Metro Manila as well as key areas in 17 out of 79 provinces.

Despite the successful protest action, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said it will not be bullied into granting strikers an increase of P1 to P1.50 in the minimum jeepney fare. In Metro Manila, the minimum fare is P4.

LTFRB Chairman Maria Elena Bautista warned jeepney operators they risk cancellation of their franchise for joining the strike yesterday as well those who will participate in protest actions in the coming days.

"Abandonment of their route and paralyzing public transportation are violations of the franchise system," Bautista said in a radio interview.

She said the cancellation of a franchise includes a six-month suspension of transport operations.

Bautista’s warning came after President Arroyo ordered the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) to cancel the franchises of jeepney operators who participated in the nationwide "Tigil Pasada."

In an official statement, the President warned jeepney operators they may face cancellation of their franchises by the LTFRB, an attached agency of the DOTC, for violation of their certificates of conveyance when they joined the strike.

"I have ordered the DOTC to cancel the franchises of jeepney operators who violate the law," Mrs. Arroyo said. "I have to protect the interest of the average Filipino, especially the riding public."

Mrs. Arroyo declared the government will not be coerced into granting fare hike petitions to protesting drivers who resort to staging transport strikes.

"We will deal with this issue with the rule of law, sustained dialogue with the majority of well-meaning transport sectors and with a clear view of the public interest involved," the President said.

Associations of drivers and operators of jeepneys are demanding a fare increase and the scrapping of the oil deregulation law that gives oil companies leeway to increase fuel prices.

According to the DOTC’s telecommunications Region III office, hardest hit were the provinces of Bataan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan and Tarlac.

Thousands of students and workers in the affected areas had to walk to work or school. Some schools allowed their students to go home early. In Central Luzon, classes at all levels were suspended.

In Metro Manila, the National Capital Region Police Office reported the Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela area (Camanava) was hardest hit between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. as no pubic vehicles plied their normal route there.

FX taxicabs and tricycles lorded it over major routes in areas affected by the transport strike, while traffic was reported smooth to moderate in many cities.

Notwithstanding the paralyzing effect of the transport strike, Angelito Vergel de Dios, head of the traffic division office of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), claimed only about 30 percent of transport services were affected in Metro Manila.

De Dios said while one drivers’ association, the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator

Nationwide (Piston) joined the strike in Manila, others decided to wait for next week’s public hearing on their petition for a fare increase.

Aside from Piston, five other major transport groups have pledged to take part in the strike. They were the Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers’ Association of the Philippines (Fejodap), Philippine Confederation of Drivers and Operators-Alliance of Concerned Transport Organization (PCDO-ACTO), Maljodap and Altojap.

Various jeepney drivers and operators’ associations nationwide petitioned the LTFRB for a fare hike last year, but the LTFRB has yet to grant their request.

Undaunted by the threat of having their franchises canceled, jeepney groups said they will continue to stage their transport strike on March 8.

"Tuloy na iyan. Ito lang ang first salvo namin (We will push through with the March 8 transport strike. This was just our first salvo)," Efren de Luna, national president of the PDPO-ACTO told The STAR.

"Why should they cancel the franchise of the jeepney operators when it is the drivers who are on strike?" De Luna said. "It only shows that she (Bautista) should really resign."

Drivers harassing drivers

While drivers of public utility vehicles (PUVs) who did not join the strike became the savior of stranded commuters, strikers did not let this just go by.

At least 13 jeepney drivers in Metro Manila were arrested for harassing other drivers who refused to join the nationwide strike, reports reaching Camp Crame said.

Despite enhanced police visibility, drivers who continued to ply their usual route complained their vehicles were pelted with stones in some areas in Metro Manila.

Reports from the provinces also showed several cases of harassment although no one was reported injured.

Reports reaching Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. said nine of the 13 arrested drivers were nabbed along Kamias street in Quezon City, two in Caloocan City, one along Quirino Highway and another driver from Malabon.

Reports reaching the PNP Central Operations Center in Camp Crame said there was no major violent incident during the conduct of the transport strike.

Bautista said PUJ operators would automatically be meted a 30-day suspension if it will be proven that their drivers harassed or intimidated drivers who did not join the strike.

The LTFRB chief said the punitive action against erring PUJ operators will be based on what was captured by their video cameras and still photos during the strike.

MMDA’s De Dios said they were tasked by the LTFRB to assist in accosting jeepney drivers who joined the demonstration.

"We were requested to take pictures of drivers who participated in the protest. This could be used as evidence when suspending their franchises," De Dios said.

Disappointed

The President indicated her disappointment that Piston and other transport groups proceeded with the strike even after she approved last week the effectivity of the implementing guidelines that lowered the tariff on imported vehicle spare parts and even allowed duty-free importation of some vehicle spare parts for all public utility jeepneys (PUJs) and public utility buses (PUBs) for a six-month period.

"The problems of the transport groups have not fallen on deaf ears since the government has been exerting all efforts to address these problems," Mrs. Arroyo said.

The President cited that she and her Cabinet have decided to lower tariffs on imported vehicle spare parts as a "safety net" measure to help PUJ and PUB operators reduce their cost of operations and maintenance. This while prices of gasoline have yet to roll back.

In his daily press briefing at the Palace, Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye read to Palace reporters pertinent provisions of the law that makes it illegal for PUJ operators to go on strike.

Bunye quoted the Public Service Act which states that those granted with franchise "shall not resort to cessation of service as a sign or demonstration of protest against any government decision or action under pain of suspension or cancellation of the authority to operate granted by the Board (LTFRB)."

"Nor shall the applicant tolerate, allow or authorize personnel to join others committing acts prejudicial to the riding public including but not limited to paralyzing transport service by intimidation, coercion or violence," it added.

But even as the government is prepared to strictly impose the laws against striking PUJ operators, Bunye reassured the President is still open to continue the dialogue with them.

Mrs. Arroyo, however, is not inclined to meet personally with public transport groups as the dialogue will be done through DOTC Secretary Leandro Mendoza and Bautista.

How Metro coped

Reporting to the Palace on the transport strike, Mendoza informed the President the "situation was under control" as of yesterday afternoon, Bunye said.

The President authorized the DOTC and the MMDA to "undertake all measures to maintain steady public transport presence" to ensure that passengers would not be stranded.

The President herself witnessed how hapless commuters were left stranded along España and Quiapo, Manila.

After seeing the stranded commuters on her way back to Malacañang from Quezon City, Mrs. Arroyo ordered Presidential Security Group commander Col. Delfin Balingit to use the presidential convoy and two PSG buses to shuttle commuters to and from Cubao.

The presidential convoy consisted of four PSG Nissan Patrol vehicles, four Honda cars and four Toyota Revo vans that made round trips from Quiapo to Cubao and back.

The AFP National Capital Region Command (NCRC) mobilized at least 10 M-35 six-by-six military trucks to critical areas in Metro Manila for the government’s "Libreng Sakay" (Free Ride) assistance program.

The NCRC dispatched the military trucks manned by uniformed soldiers in areas severely affected by the transport strike.

NCRC crowd control units were also put on stand-by to support the PNP NCRPO in case violence erupts.

The MMDA said the transport strike worsened by midday after protesting jeepney drivers harassed Mega-FX taxicabs and prevented them from plying Kalayaan Avenue in Quezon City, Marcos Highway, Floodway area in Pasig City and Caloocan City.

From 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., MMDA chairman Bayani Fernando assessed that the transport strike paralyzed 10 percent of the metropolis’ volume of traffic with about 15,000 people stranded, of which some 2,000 were sighted along MacArthur Highway, Valenzuela City.

Fernando said they dispatched at least 12 utility vehicles, including five prison buses, to give free rides to stranded commuters.

To augment the need for public transport, the MMDA allowed passenger buses to divert from their regular route and ply out of line.

The color-coding scheme was suspended early morning, while the Metro Rail Transit 2 offered free rides from Marikina to Manila.

In Manila, the Western Police District’s (WPD’s) Tactical Operations Center reported a 100 percent paralyzation of public transportation in Del Pan-Pier South, Gasak-Navotas-Recto, Cubao-San Juan-Divisoria, Novaliches-Blumentritt, Kalentong-Punta, Sangandaan-Divisoria and Juan Luna-H. Lopez.

Partial paralyzation was reported in the R.M. Magsaysay to Quiapo route, Pasig to Quiapo, Boni-Mandaluyong-Quiapo, Balic Balic-Lealtad-Quiapo, Blumentritt-Rizal Avenue, Quezon City-Quiapo, Cubao-Quiapo, and the Baclaran-Monumento route.

In Quezon City, Mayor Feliciano Belmonte ordered the deployment of buses owned by the city government to areas affected by the strike.

Belmonte directed the city’s public order and safety chief, Manuel Sabalsa to field the buses to help stranded commuters.

Sabalsa said as early 7 a.m., jeepneys plying the route going to Project 2, Project 4 and the Quirino Highway in Novaliches and at the Kalayaan and Cubao areas stopped their operations.

In the northern part of Manila, transportation service was likewise virtually paralyzed.

"Almost a hundred percent of public utility vehicles plying the area particularly in Monumento (Caloocan City) joined the strike," Caloocan City intelligence chief Superintendent Dionisio Borromeo said.

Commuters in the Camanava area likewise felt the effects of the nationwide transport strike as early as midnight yesterday.

Local officials said the strike was generally peaceful in the Camanava area.

Pedicab and tricycle drivers overcharging passengers were spotted along the main thoroughfares of Samson Road going to Malabon and Navotas, MacArthur Highway going to Valenzuela City, EDSA going to Quezon City and Rizal Avenue Extension going south to Manila.

Paralyzed in the provinces

Several key cities in provinces in Luzon and the Visayas were affected by the nationwide transport strike and commuters had to rely on tricycles to get to their destination.

The massive protest action however did not reach Southern Mindanao, particularly in Davao City, where the a major transport group there continued to ply their normal route.

Southern Mindanao drivers instead agreed on joining the scheduled transport strike on March 8.

In Dagupan City, stranded commuters had to take tricycle rides to get to their destination as several jeepney groups joined the strike.

Several passenger buses, however, continued to ply their usual route.

"Makisama naman kayo, (Be one with us)," a jeepney driver pleaded to a bus driver.

Jeepneys plying the "downtown loop" also joined the strike, prompting the riding public to take tricycle rides.

A traffic enforcer said several commuters complained of overcharging by several tricycle drivers. Commuters paid a minimum of P20 per head.

Jeepney drivers plying Bonuan Tondaligan, Bonuan Boquig, Bonuan Binloc, Downtown Dagupan, Tambac-Bolosan, Calasiao, San Carlos City, Lingayen, Manaoag, Mapandan, San Fabian, Sta. Barbara, Bayambang joined the strike.

Police mobile and trucks owned by the city government were used to shuttle passengers.

Robert Erfe-Mejia, public order and safety office chief whose office is in-charge of the traffic situation in the city, told The STAR they had to patrol the area after receiving reports that jeepney drivers who did not join the strike were stoned. The strike ended at 12 noon.

In Bicol, at least 90% of the transport organizations plying the four mainland provinces in the region joined the nationwide transport strike, forcing some schools to suspend classes.

In Naga City, private school administrators suspended classes in the elementary, secondary and tertiary levels.

In public schools, 95% of the students failed to attend their classes due to the absence of jeepneys and tricycles on roads.

Transport groups plying various routes in Camarines Sur, including buses and vans also staged a total "Tigil Pasada."

Hundreds of people holding classes and offices outside the province were left stranded at the Daet Central Terminal.

Tricycles plying Daet town did not join the strike after the Sangguniang Bayan there granted their application for a fare hike from P4 to P5.

A complete stop in jeepney operations was also reported in Sorsogon City and in adjacent towns. FX taxicabs and buses going to this city sympathized with the strikers.

In Albay, however, a big transport group plying the busy Legazpi City-Daraga thoroughfare did not join the strike.

Nelson Lanuza, president of the Albay Jeepney Drivers and Operators Association (AJDA), told the media that they did not agree with the fare hike demand of disgruntled jeepney operators and drivers.

But Lanuza warned they might join an even larger strike on Mar. 8 since its objective is to ask for a rollback in the prices of oil.

In Bataan, about 2,000 jeepneys and mini-buses plying the Bataan-Pampanga-Olongapo City route joined the nationwide transport strike.

However, the provincial-wide transport strike failed to paralyze business activity and school classes as the 20,000-strong tricycle owners continued servicing the public in Bataan’s eleven towns and a component city.

Mario Carabeo, vice president of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association(JODA), said that about 500 members have ceased operations early yesterday morning to dramatize their demands for a price rollback. He cited the cost of diesel fuel is already P5 higher now than in 2000 when it was only Pl3 per liter.

In Bulacan, the strike staged by various transport groups failed to cripple transportation in the province after local government units and the local police provided free shuttle service to and from different destinations here.

Work in both public and private offices were not suspended. Only classes in all levels were suspended.

However, Jun Pereda, member of the Central Luzon Transport Council claimed the strike crippled 99 percent of public transportation in various provinces of Central Luzon.

Senior Superintendent Felizardo Serapio Jr., Bulacan police director, told The STAR three unidentified people were arrested after they were caught throwing nails on the road in an attempt to hamper operations of jeepney drivers who refused to join the strike.

In Tarlac City, what was said to be a "soft mass action" or "skeleton strike" by jeepney drivers nearly paralyzed all of the government’s regular week-day functions in Tarlac City.

The provincial and city governments here belatedly announced that its offices will have to be closed the whole day.

Classes in all levels were also ordered suspended. All passenger jeepneys stopped ceased operations at exactly 6:00 a.m.

Also crippled by the strike were transportation linking Tarlac to the neighboring provinces of Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija and Pampanga.

There were unconfirmed reports of stone-throwing incidents against jeepney drivers who refused to join the strike. Protesters denied this.

In Pampanga, the Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator ng Pilipinas (STOP) claimed 12 provinces and six cities in Pampanga were "paralyzed" by the nationwide transport strike.

STOP, an umbrella organization of 16 public transport group federations throughout the country, issued a statement saying that strike was "99 per cent successful."

Tom Talavera, spokesperson of the Bukluran ng mga Progresibong Tsuper at Operator (BUMPER) in Central Luzon, cited reports that some 500,000 drivers of PUVs, mostly jeepneys, grounded their vehicles to dramatize their demand seeking a fare hike and to scrap the oil deregulation law.

In Angeles City where PISTON led a transport strike only last Feb. 23 and 24, jeepneys and tricycle drivers did not join the strike.

In Southern Tagalog, thousands of commuters were stranded as at least eight local jeepney drivers and operators associations joined a national transport strike, almost completely crippling transportation in the region.

The strike crippled almost all major routes in key urban centers of the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) area.

Ninety percent of major routes crippled was in Laguna, Batangas and Cavite while Lucena City in Quezon was totally paralyzed, and 80 per cent in Rizal province.

Tricycles in San Pedro town, Laguna took advantage of the strike by charging a minimum of P20 per person per four kilometers trip or five times higher than on regular days.

It was estimated that a total of 50,000 jeepneys stopped their trips as early as 5 a.m. yesterday in Southern Tagalog. Some 10,000 jeepneys abandoned their routes in Calamba City; Lucena City, 20,000; and 30,000 in Cavite and Batangas.

In some areas such as in Calauan and San Pedro towns and cities of Calamba and San Pablo, all in Laguna, the striking drivers set up human barricades in strategic points, blocking jeepneys which continued to ply.

In Negros Occidental, police authorities said the strike affected 90 percent of the transportation sector in after the biggest transport company in the region, Vallacar Transit, joined the strike.

The strike, however, failed to cripple public transportation in Bacolod as one transport group decided not to join the militant United Negros Drivers Operators Center.

Taxicabs and tricycles also continued to ply their route.

Public schools held regular classes even after most private schools announced over the weekend the suspension of their classes in anticipation of the protest action.

It was also business as usual for all commercial centers here. — With AP, Christina Mendez, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Jerry Botial, Nestor Etolle, Ding Cervantes, Evelyn Macairan, Pete Laude, Cesar Ramirez, Cet Dematera, Raffy Viray, James Mananghaya, Eva Visperas, Antonieta Lopez, Benjie Villa, Perseus Echeminada, Ric Sapnu, Rene Alviar, Celso Amo, Edith Regalado