Court stops Valenzuela drivers’ future strikes

MANILA, Philippines – A Valenzuela court has issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) against drivers in the city after they allegedly held an “illegal” strike last Sept. 16.

In a Sept. 27 order, Judge Emma Matammu of Regional Trial Court Branch 270 issued the TRO against the Valenzuela City Transport Alliance and members of the Malanday, Malinta and Balubaran jeepney operators and drivers’ association from holding transport strikes.

“There appears an urgent and paramount necessity for the issuance of a TRO in order to prevent undue prejudice to the commuting public and consequential damages to the city government,” the order read.

Mayor Rexlon Gatchalian filed a P635,000 lawsuit against the drivers for the city hall’s free ride expenses during their alleged strike last Sept. 16.

Gatchalian sought P135,000 in actual damages that the city hall incurred in providing buses to ferry the stranded passengers.

The city government spent P135,000 for the free rides, or P1,500 for each of the 90 bus trips “as a consequence of the illegal and unannounced transport strike,” the complaint read.

The mayor also sought P500,000 in exemplary damages “to deter others from doing the same acts as an example,” the complaint read.

Transport alliance president Raynaldo Valenzuela denied they held a strike without a permit that day, and only called it a “picket rally” against the hefty fines being imposed on them.

The Valenzuela drivers are protesting the city’s non-contact apprehension program wherein motorists, based on footage from closed-circuit television cameras along McArthur Highway, may be fined as high as P3,000 for traffic violations.

In a text message yesterday, Gatchalian said he haled the drivers to court which for him is the “right forum” to resolve his spat with the jeepney association.

Valenzuela said he will not be cowed by the TRO. “If I am fighting for something, why should I be afraid?” he said.