Protests result in traffic jam

CEBU - Demonstrating cause-oriented groups caused heavy traffic on some roads in Cebu City.

Cebu City Transportation Office operations head Francisco Ouano said that a portion of Colon St. was not passable to all type of vehicles shortly before noon Tuesday as the groups converged there.

Vehicles were diverted to Junquera St. Thirty traffic enforcers were deployed on major intersections of Osmeña Blvd., starting from the corner of P. del Rosario, to supervise traffic flow while the activity was ongoing.

“After 45 minutes, Colon St. was accessible again since the group already proceeded to Plaza Independencia,” Ouano said. The traffic forced some jeepney drivers not to ply their normal route.

“We were stuck in traffic. For me, we couldn’t t do anything because we have to respect them,” Edward Matas, a jeepney driver, said.

Misil Pardo, a commuter, also voiced out her frustration as she disembarked from a jeepney. “It was an inconvenience because I have to go somewhere important,” she said.

More than 1, 000 members of cause-oriented groups from all over the Visayas joined forces for the Lakbayan 2017 yesterday.

Jaime Paglinawan, chairman of Bayan-Central Visayas, said that farmers, fishermen, drivers and laborers from different parts of Cebu, Bohol, Panay and Negros showed up. “This just shows the discontent of our farmers, laborers and fishermen to the programs of the Duterte administration,” he said. SS-Cebu

Amper Campaña/SS-CEBU STREET BEAT. An estimated 1,000 persons rallied in parts of Osmeña Blvd. and Colon in Cebu City, protesting (among others) a jeepney modernization program, stagnant wages, a laborexport policy, and extrajudicial killings.