ILOILO City – Today’s nationwide transport strike against the phase out of old jeepneys is a legal right of public utility vehicle drivers and operators, according to Alyansa Kontra PUV Phase Out-Panay that is leading the mass action here. It slammed the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and Office of Transportation Cooperatives (OTC) for threatening to cancel the strikers’ franchises or accreditation.
Jeepney drivers and operators became hesitant to join the nationally-coordinated strike after the LTFRB and OTC issued warnings.
According to Edgar Salarda, convener of Alyansa Kontra PUV Phase Out-Panay and leader of Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide, the National Union of People’s Lawyer (NUPL) Panay is helping them explain to drivers and operators their legal rights.
“They must know and understand their rights. Holding a transport strike is legal,” said Salarda.
Striking is allowed under the 1987 Philippine Constitution, said the transport leader, citing Article III, Section 4 (freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people to peaceably assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances) and Article XIII, Section 3 (rights of all workers to self-organization, collective bargaining and negotiations, and peaceful concerted activities, including the right to strike in accordance with law).
Two transport cooperatives announced on Friday they won’t be joining today’s strike – the Western Visayas Transport Cooperative (WVTC) and the Iloilo City Association of Operators and Drivers Cooperative (ICAODC). They received warning from the OTC that their registrations could be revoked.
Under WVTC are some 2,000 jeepney units affiliated with the Iloilo City Loop Alliance of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association and transport groups from the municipalities of Dumangas and Barotac Nuevo in Iloilo province, and from the provinces of Antique and Guimaras.
On the other hand, the ICAODC has between 500 to 600 jeepney units.
LTFRB could not penalize striking drivers and operators who voluntarily join today’s protest, said Salarda, citing the advice of NUPL Panay.
“We want to make this clear, basta wala mo ginapahog or intimidate ang aton mga kautoran nga mag upod sa strike, indi ka pwede akusaran,” he said.
Even LTFRB Memorandum Circular No. 2011-004 stressed this, Salarda pointed out.
As stated in the memo, those proven to be forcing or using violence and intimidation on a driver or operator to join a transport strike would be penalized.
“You cannot penalize drivers or operators who voluntarily join a strike bangud sa iya personal nga pagpati sa kahustuhan sang tinutuyo sang strike,” ” stressed Salarda.
LTFRB Memorandum Circular No. 2011-004 enumerates the penalties:
* first offense – P2,000
* second offense – P3,000
* third offense – P5,000 and cancellation of franchise
“Let us all remember that under the Constitution, we have the right to express our grievances and kag maghulag para ipanawagan sa aton gobyerno ang aton mga demanda,” said Salarda.
He also warned LTFRB against unjustly going after striking drivers and operators.
“May salabton ang LTFRB kon sumala sila, ilabi na ang ila pagpamahog. Pwede man sila kasuhan,” Salarsa said.
The phase out of old jeepneys by July 2020 is in line with the government’s move to modernize Philippine public transport; the goal is to minimize air pollution and improve public transport safety.
Modern jeepneys are required to have, among others, Euro 4 engines that meet the European Union emission standards on harmful chemicals (such as toxic sulfur, benzene and carbon dioxide, etc.), Global Positioning System, automatic fare collection system, dashboard camera, speed limiter, and closed-circuit television camera.
According to Alyansa Kontra PUV Phase Out-Panay, these are beyond the financial capacity of jeepney operators.
If the government really wants to reduce air pollution, said Salarda, there is an alternative to phasing out old jeepneys – requiring operators to overhaul their engines and closely monitor if this is being complied./PN
