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Metro

NCRPO, NCRCOM to go on alert for transport strike

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The National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) and the military’s NCR Command (NCRCOM) will go on alert starting tonight in preparation for tomorrow’s transport strike to be staged by the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (PISTON).

NCRPO director Chief Superintendent Geary Barias said they will go on full alert at 8 p.m. tonight. He added that aside from putting 10,000 policemen on the ready, 2,000 other policemen will patrol major thoroughfares and keep order among jeepney drivers and operators who will go on strike.

The NCRPO also coordinated with the NCRCOM and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), which will give free rides to stranded commuters on certain routes.

Barias said the routes expected to be affected are those in the Camanava (Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and Valenzuela) area, the Cubao-Marikina route, Aduana Circle area, Blumentritt-Welcome-Pasay Taft, among others.

NCRCOM spokesman Capt. Carlos Ferrer said they will be on blue alert starting tonight and are ready to divert military vehicles currently being utilized to haul government-subsidized rice to depressed areas to ferry stranded commuters.

Barias said he had already held a dialogue with Piston secretary general George San Mateo regarding the “nationally coordinated transport strike and people’s protest” they will hold.

According to Barias, San Mateo promised that the strike will be a peaceful one.

The NCRPO is particularly concerned with the safety of passenger jeepney drivers who will not participate in the strike since the strikers may bully them.

Meanwhile, the militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) announced yesterday that it will mobilize its forces to show full support for the nationwide transport strike.

Bayan spokesman Arnold Padilla said in a statement that they will be joining the call of the transport group to scrap the 12 percent value-added tax (VAT) on oil products and the oil deregulation law.

He said the government continues to ignore the clamor to junk the VAT and the oil deregulation law because higher oil prices mean bigger revenues for the Arroyo administration. – Rainier Allan Ronda, Jaime Laude, Perseus Echeminada

ADUANA CIRCLE

ARNOLD PADILLA

BAGONG ALYANSANG MAKABAYAN

BAYAN

BLUMENTRITT-WELCOME-PASAY TAFT

CARLOS FERRER

CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT GEARY BARIAS

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