Transport groups on strike push for P55 price rollback for diesel

Some transport groups that took part in the three-day transport strike that began on Wednesday called for a price rollback of P55 per liter of diesel amid the oil price shocks due to the Middle East conflict.

According to Chino Gaston’s “24 Oras” report, protesters stomped on images of US President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. near a gasoline station in Malate, Manila.

They blamed the war initiated by Trump against Iran for the continuous oil price hikes, which posed a heavy burden on the public transport sector.

Along Quezon Avenue in Quezon City, transport group PISTON called for an immediate response to the worsening effects of the crisis.

They said the P20 per liter rollback in diesel prices is insufficient.

“Kahit tanggalin mo ang P20 manantili pa rin na P135 per liter at halos P90 sa presyo ng gasolina kaya tingin namin ay hindi nararamdaman ng mga driver. Ipabasura itong oil deregulation law, pagtanggal ng excise tax at pagtanggal sa VAT at kagyat pag rollback sa P55,” PISTON national presidennt Mody Floranda said.

(Even if P20 is removed, diesel would still cost P135 per liter and gasoline almost P90, so we think PUV drivers won’t really feel the impact. We urge for the removal of the Oil Deregulation Law and excise tax and VAT, and an immediate rollback to P55.)

Members of the transport group MANIBELA also did not ply their routes from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Although losing a day’s income is an added burden amid the high fuel prices, the public transport drivers said they need to express their grievances to the government.

“Hindi na po talaga namin kaya ‘yung sobrang taas ng presyo ng petrolyo. Kahit anong gawin po namin na maghapon na pamamasada makakauwi na lang po kami sa aming pamilya ng P150 to P200. Itong taas ng pamashe po ay hindi po acceptable yan. Kasi unang-una, masasagasaan din po ang ating manggagawa na hindi naman tumataas ang kanilang sweldo. Maibalik po sana ng presyo ng ating petrolyo, huwag naman po masyadong P155, hindi po talaga kaya,” said Dione Dayola, Agua JODA president, Manilbela Federation.

(We really can no longer afford the extremely high fuel prices. Even if we ply our routes the whole day, we can only bring home P150 to P200 for our families. The fare increase is not acceptable because the wages of our passengers are also not increasing. We hope fuel prices can be brought down again. We cannot afford the ₱155 per liter.)

Manibela added that they understood why members of transportation cooperatives, which were formed in compliance with the requirements of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Law, chose not to join the transport strike. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/JMA, GMA News