[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’JUST ANOTHER DAY ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY LUIS BUENAFLOR JR.
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=’18’ font_color=” color=”]
AND President Rodrigo Duterte once again doused cold water on the two-day strike of the Pinag-isang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide aka PISTON on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 16 and 17.
PISTON held the two-day strike nationwide to oppose the government’s public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program which they claim is a jeepney phaseout plan that would require the purchase of newer, more expensive models.
Hello! It really is a jeepney phaseout program which aims to replace the obsolete, not passenger- and environment-friendly jeepney with a much more modern, comfortable and efficient alternative mode of public transport.
Among the groups supporting the nationwide transport strike are the usual suspects i.e. Kadamay, Migrante, League of Filipino Students, and Kilusang Mayo Uno.
So how did President Rodrigo Duterte diffuse the transport strike? Quite simple, really. He took away the strike’s main objective: to paralyze the metropolis with thousands of stranded commuters, students and salaried workers.
Here are excerpts from the Oct. 15 GMA News report:
Palace suspends classes, gov’t work nationwide for Monday
“Malacañang on Sunday announced the suspension of government work and classes in all levels of both public and private schools nationwide for Monday, in view of the two-day transport strike beginning Oct. 16.
“According to the Office of the Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Oct. 17 (Tuesday) is not included. Meanwhile, suspension of work for private sector is ‘subject to discretion of employers.’
“‘As to suspension of govt work, we shall issue the usual memorandum circular,’ it added.
“Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has also suspended work in all court nationwide.”
PISTON has visions of Metro Manila and other major cities nationwide in a post-apocalypse scene with thousands of commuters, students, laborers and office workers stranded because there was no public transport.
With that simple declaration, President Duterte took away their bargaining chip. PISTON was hoping they can use the misery of the stranded commuters to force the government to give in to their demands.
Not this time as Ambassador to the United Nations Teddy Boy Locsin posted in his Twitter account, “We have a thinking President.”
PISTON has been so used to that nincompoop Noynoy Aquino who panics every time something happens that is out of his comfort zone. This time President Duterte outsmarted them; he rained on PISTON’s parade, gave government workers and students a long weekend which made the natives happy.
These professional strikers should have taken their cue from the Sept. 21 so-called “rally to end all rallies” of the “devotees to the cult of yellow ribbon”; they had visions of police firing water cannons at them with riot squads forcibly dispersing the rallyist.
They were hoping that these photo-ops will make the international headlines and further boost their claim that President Duterte is a “fascist dictator.” But the “fascist dictator” simply declared Sept. 21 a no work/school day and enjoined everyone to rally and air their grievances against the government. Result: the rally fizzled out.
Meanwhile in Region 6 or Western Visayas something happened that showed Ilonggos are far more intelligent than those PISTON leaders in Metro Manila who called for the two days jeepney strike.
As if on cue this is what happened after President Duterte announced that Oct. 16 would be a no school/work day.
From the Oct. 15 issue of Panay News:
Western Visayas transport groups not joining 2-day strike
“Transport groups in Western Visayas will not join the two-day nationwide transport strike that starts Monday, Oct. 16.
“They are considering the MassKara Festival in Bacolod City and their colleagues attending the Visayas-wide mass movement “Lakbayan” in Cebu, said Edgar Salarda, president of the Pinag-isang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide – Panay.
“Local transport groups will instead hold a “transport caravan protest” from terminal to terminal on Monday.”
Yeah right, they are concerned about the MassKara Festival in Bacolod just like the Dinagyang Festival in “I Am Iloilo City”. All the major streets are closed to traffic and public transport; people are literally just walking so with or without a transport strike, people will really have to walk.
It’s the perfect excuse not hold the jeepney strike anymore without losing face as it really has become moot and academic, not to mention comical.
As “Dick Dastardly” in that ‘70s television cartoon show Wacky Races said, “Curses, foiled again.” (brotherlouie16@gmail.com/PN)
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
