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Transport strike to hit Metro; AFP, police offer free rides


MANILA, Philippines - A last-ditch attempt to avert the public transportation strike was being finalized in Malacañang Monday night, but its immediate impact has yet to be felt as Metro Manila braces for the absence of many public utility vehicles on its streets. A transport organization official, however, said the planned transport holiday in Metro Manila and nearby provinces is likely to push through. Roberto Martin, national president of the Pasang Masda Nationwide, Inc., said his group does not intend to pull out plans for a transport strike, given the local government's insistence on sticking with the controversial ticketing system which drivers claimed had opened opportunities for extortion. Meanwhile, the National Capital Region Police Office said hundreds of police vehicles will be deployed in the metropolis to mitigate the effects of the transport strike. Troops under the Armed Forces National Capital Region Command are on red alert. The soldiers will also assist commuters who are expected to be stranded. The Command will deploy all available vehicles to give free rides to stranded commuters. Negotiations The decision to pursue the Metro Manila-wide transport holiday was negotiated by officials of the Department of Transportation and Communication and a number of transport leaders from the 1-United Transport Koalisyon (1-Utak), a coalition of public transport groups. Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Executive Director Emmanuel A. Mahipos said an executive order was expected to be signed by the President Monday night that will institutionalize the single ticketing system, which is the main issue for the strike. The STS was proposed by the transport groups to replace the current system called ordinance violation receipt or OVR. Drivers have claimed the OVR has been abused by traffic enforcers deputized by local government units. Mr. Mahipos told BusinessWorld in a telephone interview, "We have sent the final draft of the EO to Malacañang. We are just waiting for the President’s signature. Hopefully, they [transport groups] would decide not to go through with it [strike]." 1-Utak President Vigor Mendoza III said the group is going to push through with the strike. On with the strike "Even if the EO comes out, it would be difficult to disseminate at this point. The most that we can do is to mitigate it’s impact." He said they can call off the mass action any time Tuesday depending on the EO’s issuance, how fast the word gets around that it has been approved, and if the President asks for a stay. "These people [1-Utak leaders] are very supportive of the President. If the President should ask, we cannot say no." Drivers and operators of bus, taxi, truck and tricycle groups, who are members of 1-Utak, and militant Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (Piston) were set to join the public transport holiday. Some of the transport groups under the umbrella of 1-Utak alliance are Pasang Masda, Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines, Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines, Metro Bus Operator Association and Alliance of Concerned Transport Operators, and Philippine Bus Operators Association. Piston Secretary-General George F. San Mateo said regardless of 1-Utak leaders’ decision, they will pursue the strike. "Hangga’t may miyembro silang titigil ng pagpasada, makikiisa kami kahit walang mga leaders (Until 1-Utak has members who will go on strike, we will support them even without their leaders)," he claimed. "The multiple ticketing system is an issue of corruption. The rampant corruption from the bottom to the top of the bureaucracy is hurting us drivers," Mr. San Mateo added in Filipino. A dialogue failed between officials of transport groups and Metro Manila mayors at the office of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority in Makati City. The dialogue was aimed to forge a last minute-compromise between the transport sector and local government units on the STS. Half of the 17 mayors invited by MMDA Chairman Bayani F. Fernando were absent in the meeting and some just sent their representatives. Most of the transport officials, on the other hand, decided not to finish the dialogue with the mayors’ resistance to the STS. Police, military preparedness Meanwhile, police and military authorities are bracing for the mass action. In a press briefing at Camp Crame in Quezon City, Philippine National Police chief Director-General Avelino I. Razon, Jr. said the PNP will provide free rides in coordination with the Armed Forces and LTFRB. Mr. Razon said they will strictly implement the "no permit no rally" rule, but will observe maximum tolerance. "We will not allow transport strikers to block the way of other utility drivers who do not wish to join the protest strike." In a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Metro Manila military chief Maj. Gen. Fernando Mesa said the Army will provide rides for the east district, the Navy for the west district, the National Capital Region Command for the central district, and PNP for the south district. Mr. Mesa said they are not discounting destabilizers who will take advantage of the situation, thus both military and police forces are on full alert. Both the National Capital Region Police Office and NCRCom have been on red alert since 6 p.m. Monday. — GMANews.TV and BusinessWorld
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