Nationwide strike set 30 September
We are not afraid of arrest and we’d rather be arrested and jailed than be phased out forever out of livelihood
Association on Concerned Transport Organization (ACTO) president Efren de Luna is scheduled to launch a mass public transportation nationwide strike this coming Monday, 30 September.
Speaking at the “Balitaan sa Tinapayan” media forum, De Luna said their action is based on the deadline for jeepney phaseout, which will take effect on June 2020 barely nine months now.
De Luna lambasted the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board over a department order it issued asking all franchise holders to surrender their franchises and apply for new ones.
He said this measure is anti-poor and a ploy to all jeep drivers on the roads and more so to kill their livelihood.
De Luna is calling the jeepney modernization a hoax, saying if the government were sincere enough, “why does it require franchise holders to surrender and apply for new one instead of dropping only the franchise?”
He said the government should study the gradual phaseout of the said transportation, and vehicles it is offering should conform to the location citing differences in cities and provinces.
“I hope that what they will replace the jeepney will run for a long time. The jeepney is tested by time, and its engine is suitable for the demands of commuters who want an inexpensive ride,” De Luna said.
He said the government had never ever come to help or subsidize their ranks. Jeepney operators and drivers only relied on their selves as they continued to serve commuters daily, De Luna added.
“We are not afraid of arrest and we’d rather be arrested and jailed than be phased out forever out of livelihood. You all know that the average age of drivers is 45 and up, and who do you think will employ us in the event we will be out on the streets, and where will commuters turn to if we will all be gone?” he asked.
He even called for the resignation of Delgra “who is callous to all our small demands.”