PISTON-Cebu to hold picket rally against PTMP

CEBU, Philippines — Militant transport group Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Piston)-Cebu will hold a two-hour picket rally today, barely a week after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. turned down Senate Resolution 1096.

The resolution requested the suspension of the implementation of the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP) but the president had argued that such had been done for several times already.

PISTON-Cebu chairperson Greg Perez said that unlike their counterpart in Metro Manila, who will be holding a three-day transport strike today until Friday, they would just have a picket rally from 10 a.m. to noon.

“Dili mi moapil sa ilang three days transport strike, kay picket rally ra mi diri mga duha ka oras ra,” he said.

Perez said that around 50 drivers and small-time operators will converge in Brgy. Carreta, Cebu City and would then march to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-7 office.

He said they are disappointed that Marcos junked the Senate resolution. They maintained that the PTMP would eventually phase-out the traditional jeepneys and put small-time operators out of their livelihood.

Taking cognizant of such concern, 22 senators last July 31 signed Senate Resolution 1096, which urged the government to temporarily suspend the implementation of PTMP until all concerns of jeepney drivers and operators are fully addressed.

Disgruntled by the resolution, more than 2,000 drivers, operators and transport cooperative staff held a Unity Rally in Cebu, urging Marcos to reject the resolution.

The Federation of Cebu Transport Cooperative and Allied Cooperative and Corporation, which comprises 22 transport cooperatives, rejoiced with the decision of President Marcos.

They argued that only 19 percent of public transport operators oppose the PTMP while 81 percent already complied with the modernization program.

LTFRB-7 Director Eduardo Montealto, Jr. also said the modernization program continues and in fact the Banawa Transport Cooperative (BANTRASCO) in Cebu City inaugurated just recently its six additional modern jeepneys, with 13 more next month.

He said that to date, 1,400 modern jeepneys and 896 traditional jeepneys are consolidated in Cebu.

“Atong makita sa atong records nga majority na gyud sa atong mga jeepneys kay consolidated na gyud ang ilang mga franchise. Kaning mga nisupak, gamay ra gyud kaayo na sila,” Montealto said. — (FREEMAN)