Manibela President Mar Valbuena 鈥擯hoto courtesy of Manibela Facebook
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The transport group Manibela announced on Wednesday that it would hold a strike from March 24 to March 26 to protest the 鈥渓ies鈥� being told by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) about the government鈥檚 controversial Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP).
In a press briefing in Quezon City, Manibela president Mar Valbuena said they would push for the resignation of LTFRB Chair Teofilo Guadiz III for claiming that 86 percent of the country鈥檚 passenger vehicles have already consolidated to form cooperatives or corporations in accordance with the PTMP.
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This is a 鈥渃omplete lie鈥� because Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon admitted that the 86 percent included drivers and operators鈥� groups whose consolidation applications have yet to be approved, Valbuena added.
鈥淚t鈥檚 because of their false data that we are suffering today, not just drivers and operators, but more so our commuters,鈥� he said, lamenting that Manibela members who refused to consolidate were being 鈥渢reated like criminals.鈥�
Reacting to the Manibela strike, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said in a statement that it was within the group鈥檚 rights to make its concerns heard. It added that Dizon had instructed DOTr officials to hold a dialogue with the transport group as soon as possible. 鈥擩erome Aning