Manibela to hold 3-day strike Dec. 9
Transport group Manibela on Sunday called out the government for offering “vague promises” in response to abuses which the group said jeepney drivers continue to cope with.
This leaves the group “with no choice” but to continue it three-day strike on Dec. 9 after “no clear action from agencies.”
In a statement, Manibela acknowledged reports that President Marcos has directed the Department of Transportation to look into the concerns raised by jeepney drivers and operators, but stressed that “the reality on the ground demands more than a passing glance.”
“For more than a year, drivers have been subjected to sudden suspensions of their licenses, arbitrary demerit points (as if picked up on the streets) and fines that feel punitive rather than corrective,” the group said.
It noted that the “entrenched culture of payola (bribery)… continues to flourish, creating an environment where ordinary drivers are forced to navigate corruption just to survive each day.”
Moreover, thousands of jeepney drivers are also unable to work because of delays in the issuance of required documents and franchise renewals caused by the “very agencies meant to serve them,” Manibela said.
“The [Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board or LTFRB] and the LTO themselves are unable to release the documents, but we are the ones who are fined,” said Manibela chair Mar Valbuena. “If this is not oppression, then what do we call it?”
The group also criticized Palace press officer Claire Castro for “framing the administration’s attention as a form of pamasko (Christmas gift).”
Castro had earlier called on Manibela to cooperate with the government for the sake of commuters, especially now that the Christmas season is here.
But for the transport group, “drivers are not carolers knocking for coins, and they themselves bring holiday cheer to commuters through daily service and sacrifice.”
Valbuena also said transport strikes, which are seen as an inconvenience to commuters, are not done based on the “whims” of drivers and operators. He said the protest is the “final course of action taken by workers who have been consistently ignored.”
“Had the LTFRB, DOTr and LTO addressed these long-standing issues early on, no strike would be necessary, and no passenger would be caught in the fallout,” Valbuena said.
The group stressed that it only has a “simple demand,” which is the fair and timely renewal of franchises that will allow drivers to legally register and continue their work.
