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Transport group Piston officially kicked off the first day of its two-day transport strike this Tuesday morning, September 29, establishing its main protest center along Aurora Boulevard in Cubao, Quezon City. Bea Cuadra, ABS-CBN News
MANILA — Transport group Piston officially kicked off the first day of its two-day transport strike this Tuesday morning, September 29, establishing its main protest center along Aurora Boulevard in Cubao, Quezon City.
The nationwide protest pushes for immediate economic relief, with the group demanding lower oil prices alongside the removal of the value-added tax (VAT) and excise tax on petroleum products.
Piston president Mody Floranda outlined the group's primary grievances against soaring fuel costs.
"Una ang panawagan natin sa pamahalaan ay yung kagyat na pagtanggal o pagbasura sa oil deregulation law dahil napatunayan naman natin sa loob ng 28 years na pamamayagpag ng batas na ito ay halos tayo yung patuloy na pinapahirapan," Floranda stated.
He added that "sa ilalim ng oil deregulation law ay talagang nawala na yung authority ng gobyerno para pigilan o imonitor man lamang yung usapin ng presyuhan ng produktong petrolyo."
In addition to scrapping the taxes, Piston is pushing forward with a petition for a ten-peso fare hike.
Addressing threats from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to penalize participating drivers, Floranda strongly condemned the agency's stance.
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Weighing in on the strike, commuters expressed mixed sentiments as they navigated the morning rush hour.
Aproniano Pancho, 71, who was on his way to work, admitted he was unaware of the protest beforehand.
"Hindi ko kasi alam na mayroong strike ngayon. Maaga pa kasi mamaya mahirap na ito kung may welga," he said.
Despite the initial surprise, Pancho voiced support for the underlying cause, “pabor naman sakin dahil ang pamasahe tataas nanaman... Sa iba malaking abala yun pero para hindi maabala dapat maaga umalis."
Another commuter, 56-year-old Larry Pioquinto, shared his understanding of the drivers' plight.
"Nauunawaan ko po yung damdamin nila kasi mataas po ang gasolina syempre liliit po lalo kita nila," Pioquinto said.
BPO employee Queen Ty opted to take a motorcycle taxi in Cubao, Quezon City, instead of riding a jeepney to get to work in Makati.
“Nagbu-book po ng motor taxi. Mas convenient po siya eh. Male-late na po ako eh. Talagang pahirapan na po kasi yung sakayan ng jeep ngayon. Sana mabigyan po sila (ang mga tsuper) ng suporta kasi deserve din po nila. Sana isabay po sa mga sahod ng manggagawa,” Ty said.
Housekeeper CJ Lazala, meanwhile, took an e-bus to Cubao as limited number of jeepneys were operating in Antipolo, where Lazala lives.
Despite the difficulty of finding a ride, Lazala expressed support to the jeepney drivers’ calls.
“Hindi naman po nakaka-perwisyo. Sumu-support naman po ako kung saan ang ikagaganda ng pamumuhay nila,” CJ added.
An estimated 70,000 to 100,000 jeepney drivers and operators are expected to participate in today’s nationwide transport strike, which will continue until Wednesday, along with members of other sectors.
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