MANIBELA pauses rallies but transport strike still on

MANIBELA on Thursday said it has paused its protest activities, but the transport strike will continue.

“Wala lang pong protest pero tuloy pa rin ang tigil pasada,” MANIBELA chairperson Mar Valbuena told GMA News Online in a message.

(There is no protest, but the transport strike continues.)

The group said that the halt in rallies is being used to update driver masterlists for submission to the government.

“Habang naka-stop, may mga inaayos po kaming mga masterlist para sa pag-update sa [Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board],” he added.

(During the pause, we are working on some masterlists for an update to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.)

Valbuena said he went to the LTFRB office on Wednesday after an invitation from the agency.

Transport groups staged a nationwide strike on Tuesday to press the government for action on rising fuel prices.

Members of MANIBELA and PISTON led the protest activities.

They are calling for a decrease in fuel prices, as well as the removal of the 12% value-added tax and excise tax on diesel to ease the financial burden of affected transport workers. —VAL, GMA News