Piston head arrested for leading transport strike

MANILA, Philippines — The leader of a transport group was arrested yesterday by the police for leading the nationwide transport strike last February.

George San Mateo, national president of the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (Piston), was arrested by policemen when he was about to post bail at the Quezon City Hall of Justice.

Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 43 Judge Don Ace Mariano Alagar ordered the arrest of San Mateo on Dec. 1 for leading a transport strike last February in protest of the government’s jeepney modernization program.

San Mateo was charged with violation of Commonwealth Act No. 146 with bail set at P4,000.

San Mateo was about to post bail when policemen blocked his path and took him into custody.

A commotion ensued as San Mateo questioned his arrest. He was accompanied by party-list Reps. Ariel Casilao of Anakpawis and Antonio Tinio of ACT Teachers.

San Mateo’s counsel, Vicente Jaime Topacio, argued that his client had voluntarily surrendered to the court.

The arresting lawmen led by Supt. Christian dela Cruz explained to San Mateo that they were just doing their job of implementing the arrest warrant.

Dela Cruz read aloud the Miranda Rights to San Mateo, which further angered the transport leader and his supporters.

“I’m not a criminal! Don’t arrest me because I’m going to post bail!” San Mateo said in Filipino.

Police and San Mateo’s supporters engaged in a shoving match as he was being forced into a police car.

“Are we already under martial law?” San Mateo shouted.

He was brought to the police station in Kamuning where he underwent booking procedures.

San Mateo was also subjected to a medical examination before he was brought back to the QC Hall of Justice where he was released later in the afternoon.

“The Duterte administration is mobilizing all available instrumentalities,” he said.

Warning was made

Malacañang defended the arrest of San Mateo and denied it was related to the government’s crackdown on legal fronts of communists.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said San Mateo was warned as a franchise holder that participating in transport strikes was illegal. 

“It is also pursuant to a warrant of arrest duly issued by a court and therefore, there can be no harassment here. We are just allowing the rule of law to prevail,” Roque said.

“The warning was made. He defied. He now has to face the consequences,” he added. 

Roque said San Mateo, as a holder of certificates of public convenience, would be liable for participating in transport strikes that led to inconvenience to the public. 

“If you will be a tool to inconvenience the public, then that’s a violation of the trust reposed in you by the state because that certificate of public convenience is not a right. It’s a privilege reserved only for those who can meet the obligations of franchise holders,” Roque said. 

“It sends the message that if you violate the law, you will be prosecuted by authorities. That is after all the duty of the state. We can’t have it any other way,” he added. 

Section 19 of Commonwealth Act No. 146 states that “it shall be unlawful for any public service to provide or maintain any service that is unsafe, improper or inadequate or withhold or refuse any service which can reasonably be demanded and furnished, as found and determined by the Commission in a final order.”

“This has nothing to do with arresting legal fronts. This has something to do with violating the Public Service law,” Roque said. – With Alexis Romero, Paolo Romero