Piston holds protest at DOF office vs. fuel price hike

Transport group Piston on Wednesday staged a rally at the Department of Finance office along Roxas Boulevard to protest fuel price hike due to the oil excise tax.

A report on "Balitanghali" by Saleema Refran said that Piston secretary general Steve Ranjo insisted the government should junk the second tranche of Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN2) Law, which adds P2 per liter in fuel excise tax.

Ranjo said drivers' income is getting smaller due to the fuel price hike.

On the other hand, Piston said that the Pantawid Pasada fuel cards don’t help much since these were issued under jeepney operators' names.

Sometimes, operators would not allow drivers to use the cards, it said.

The Pantawid Pasada Program was launched last year to ease the impact of the excise tax on fuel,  affecting the income of jeepney operators and drivers.

Meanwhile, Piston supported the proposal of the Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (FEJODAP) to bring the minimum fare back to P10.00. —Joviland Rita/LBG, GMA News