Manibela to hold 3-day transport strike starting today

MANILA, Philippines, December 9 ------ Transport group Manibela will stage a strike nationwide starting today to December 11 to protest against what it described as escalating penalties, extortion and delays in government processes affecting public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and operators.

During a press briefing yesterday, Manibela chairman Mar Valbuena said the group would push through with its planned protest action from Tuesday to Thursday next week. “This transport strike will be nationwide. It will not only take place here in NCR (National Capital Region), but also in nearby provinces in Luzon as well as in the Visayas and Mindanao where groups are joining our call,” Valbuena said, noting that several other transport groups are joining the protest.

In an advisory released on Wednesday, Manibela said it intends to expose “the continuous and systematic harassment by the LTO (Land Transportation Office)” of PUV drivers and operators. The group complained that instead of assisting the sector, existing LTO policies are becoming a burden as fines reach more than P12,000 and driver’s licenses are either suspended or given demerits.

They also alleged that the “payola system” among some enforcers has worsened. “If a driver fails to give money, the vehicle is immediately impounded, resulting in the loss of the source of income,” Manibela said. “Manibela strongly condemns the publicity stunts of Assistant Secretary Markus Lacanilao, who claims to be pro-poor while his office implements abusive policies and operations that further burden small drivers,” the group said, referring to alleged extortion and unclear service processes.

The group also raised concerns over the delayed release of vehicle registrations despite operators having paid the required fees. The backlog has allegedly left many unable to renew their documents. Lacanilao dismissed Manibela’s claims as he asserted that the LTO is merely enforcing the law for actual violations. He said operating an unregistered vehicle and reckless driving carries a P10,000 and P2,000 fine, respectively. Lacanilao challenged the group to identify traffic enforcers involved in the alleged payola system as he denied causing delays in jeepney registration.

Source: philstar.com