ANTHONY VARGAS
A nationwide transport strike called by a militant group on Monday was a dud as it did not paralyze transportation in major urban centers in the country, a police official said.
Senior Supt. Wilben Mayor, Public Information Office chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said as of 2 p.m. yesterday, only a few militant drivers took part in the transport holiday organized by the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytors Nationwide (Piston).
“Based on initial report on the rally of Piston, only 325 persons took part in their activity in different parts of Metro Manila; sixty in the Bicol Region and twenty only in the Central Visayas Region,” Mayor said in a text message.
The transport holiday was called by Piston in protest over a joint administrative order by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board imposing heavy penalties on operators of colorum vehicles, or those in business without a franchise from the board, and on traffic violators.
The rally, which started around 6 a.m. on Monday, was held in major thoroughfares in Metro Manila and Metro Cebu, with the organizers of the transport holiday aiming to paralyze transportation in these areas.
It drew a few participants in Metro Manila apparently because it rained heavily in the afternoon in some parts of the country’s premier region.
The PNP spokesman said the police will continue to monitor the progress of the transport holiday.
Mayor said no untoward incident had been recorded by the PNP as of Monday afternoon.
Earlier, Piston said operators and drivers of jeepneys, tricycles UV Express Service and metered taxis will join the protest rally.
The rally was set to be held in Metro Manila, Laguna, Albay, Iloilo, Bacolod City, Cebu, Northern Mindanao, Surigao del Norte, General Santos City and Davao City, Piston president George San Mateo had said.
Past transport strikes also led by Piston failed too to cripple Metro Manila’s mass transport because other drivers and operators groups refused to participate.
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