Manibela to hold 3-day transport strike from June 10-12

MANILA, June 5 ------ Transport group Manibela is set to hold a 3-day transport strike from June 10 to June 12, Independence Day, to protest the looming apprehension of unconsolidated PUVs. 

In a press conference in Quezon City on Tuesday morning, Manibela president Mar Valbuena said the government has yet to officially announce the guidelines on apprehensions. “Hindi nila kami ma-impound ng sabay-sabay, ibig sabihin kulang talaga ang masasakyan ng taong-bayan. Simula sa Lunes, June 10 hanggang 12, hindi po talaga kami bibiyahe nito. Para maramdaman nila yung sinasabi nila na 81 percent lalo na dito sa NCR. Ayaw naming gawin ito dahil napakahirap lalo na sa ating mga mananakay dahil tag-ulan na,” Valbuena said.   

Valbuena said that during a House of Representatives hearing, lawmakers agreed to allow them to register their units for a year. Several lawmakers proposed that unconsolidated jeepneys be allowed to continue plying their routes to give them time to see the benefits of joining the PUV modernization program, he said. “Malinaw na doon sa pagdinig sa kongreso, napagkasunduan na walang manghuhuli at wala naman talagang violation na unconsolidated ka para i-impound yung aitng mga sasakyan. Nandito tayo para ma-remind ang DOTr, LTFRB na may napagkasunduan na po tayo sa kongreso na tayo ay ma-i-extend ng 1-taon  at papayagan tayong makarehistro para makapagpatuloy ng hanapbuhay ang ating mga kasamahan,” Valbuena said. 

The group believes that unconsolidated public utility jeepneys (PUJs) are not violating any law since they still have valid franchises from the Congress. Manibela added that it plans to have its own modern jeepney prototype through the help of the Department of Trade and Industry and local jeepney manufacturers that include Francisco Motors and Sarao Motors among others. “Maglalabas tayo ng sarili nating prototype sa pamamagitan din ng DTI na makakasunod tayo sa Philippine National Standards o kung sinomang local manufacturer na isasama natin dito,” he said.  

He earlier said his group was able to modernize some of their jeepney units for just about P900,000, cheaper than the P1.6 million to P2.8 million modern jeepney units that transport cooperatives are usually able to acquire. Valbuena said based on their records, there were nearly 17,000 unconsolidated jeepney units in the National Capital Region alone. But LTFRB Chairman Teofilo Guadiz III said as of May 16, the consolidation rate of PUJs nationwide was at 81.11 percent. In the National Capital Region, it has reached 63 percent. 

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board earlier said it will begin fielding enforcers to check the documents of jeepneys starting the second week of May. LTFRB enforcers will issue traffic citation tickets to drivers caught using colorum vehicles, who will then be meted with a 1-year suspension of their driver's license, LTFRB Chair Teofilo Guadiz III said. "Colorum" vehicles will also be impounded and the operator slapped with a P50,000 penalty, he said.   

Source: news.abs-cbn.com