Piston planning protest actions over high oil prices

With the unabated rise in fuel prices, the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng Tsuper at Operators Nationwide (Piston) on Saturday said it is organizing mass actions and warned of a possible transport strike before the month ends. In an interview on dzRH radio, Piston secretary general George San Mateo said they are now planning to hold protest caravans, march rallies and noise barrages that may “possibly" lead to a transport strike. San Mateo said the government’s actions to supposedly soften the impact of oil price hikes have not been enough. He said in spite of government efforts, major oil firm Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. on Friday night again hiked its fuel prices by 50 centavos per liter with other oil firms expected to follow suit. “Bago matapos ang November pinag-uusapan natin mga protest caravan, march-rally at noise barrage (before the month ends, we're organizing protest caravans, march-rallies and noise barrages)," San Mateo said. “Ang protest di magtatapos kung walang aksyon ang gobyerno para pigilin ang oil price hike (We will not stop our protests so long as we see government not acting on the problem of oil price hikes)," he added. San Mateo also said that while the group is avoiding a transport strike that would adversely affect commuters, he said a weekly increase in oil prices may trigger such an action from the group. “Puwedeng maging buildup yan sa nationwide transport strike kung linggo-linggo magtataas ng presyo (If prices continue to go up every week, that might trigger a nationwide transport strike)," San Mateo said. San Mateo reiterated the group’s call for government regulation of fuel prices, saying the law has allowed oil firms to hike oil prices at will. “Pwedeng isuspindi ang batas habang gumagawa ng investigation. May unfair price na nagaganap. Ang pagtaas kagabi di pa matatapos yan (The government can suspend the oil deregulation law in the meantime. There is an unfair price increase happening. Last night’s fuel price increase isn’t the end of it)," he said. - GMANews.TV