ILOILO CITY – Transport groups in three provinces on Panay Island aim to paralyze public transport for two days starting today to dramatize their protest against repeated oil price increases.

Jeepney and tricyle drivers in Iloilo and Aklan will stop plying their routes starting midnight today until midnight Friday, while transport groups in Capiz will hold their one-day strike starting midnight Thursday.

Edgar Salarda, president of the Pinag-isang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (Piston-Iloilo), said 22 jeepney operators and drivers associations under the Iloilo City Alliance of Drivers Associations will join the strike.

Transport associations plying routes between the city and towns of Iloilo will also join the protest action.

Salarda said public jeepneys, vans and tricyles will also stop plying their routes on the island-province of Guimaras.

The transport groups are calling for the repeal of Republic Act 8479 or the Oil Deregulation Law, which they blame for the continued increase of oil prices. They are also calling for the removal of the value added tax levied on petroleum products.

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas downplayed the strike, saying he did not expect public transport in the city to be crippled because some transport groups announced that they will join the protest action.

But he said government vehicles will be on stand by to ferry passengers that would be stranded.

He said the local economy will also be affected because the transport of goods and consumers from the province to the city will be affected.*NPB

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