The United Drivers and Operators Center-PISTON and the Federation of Bacolod City Drivers Association said the two-day transport strike in Negros Occidental was successful and that they were able to deliver a strong message to the government to address their demands.

UNDOC-PISTON secretary general Jessie Ortega yesterday said they plan to launch more transport strikes and people’s protest if the President remains deaf to their call for the junking of the 12 percent Revised Value Added Tax and the Oil Deregulation Law.

The two-day transport strike staged by UNDOC-PISTON and FEBACDA ended about past 1 p.m. instead of 3 p.m. as scheduled in front of the Fountain of Justice at the Bacolod City Hall yesterday.

Ortega said they decided to end the strike early because the rains were making the strikers at rally centers ill.

Ortega said the two-day strike was generally peaceful with only minor untoward incidents that were later resolved. He said the paralyzation of the public transport in the province was successful due to the popular support of enraged poor drivers, small operators and Negrenses against successive price increases brought by the Oil Deregulation Law and RVAT imposed on oil products. 

Most public transportation kept off the streets in Bacolod City yesterday morning, but  taxis and a few jeepneys were already plying the streets even before the strike ended, unlike on Monday when there was an about 97 percent participation in the strike.

The strikers lauded Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra, the officers and members of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Bacolod Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, and civic groups for their support, he said.

UNDOC-PISTON also lauded the poor drivers and small operators for expressing their anger against the collaboration of the Arroyo regime with the oil cartel, and the imposition of onerous taxes.

Ortega and FEBACDA president Elizabeth Katalbas said they believe they have delivered a strong message to the government to address the problems affecting the people.

Katalbas said she hopes the government listens and lifts the 12 VAT on oil products to bring down the prices of fuel.

The strike inconvenienced many people but business went on as usual, Roberto Montelibano, president of the MBCCI, said yesterday.

But store owners in downtown Bacolod said that business was slow on Monday.

Meanwhile, Kilusang Mayo Uno-Negros slammed Vallacar Transit Corp. (Ceres Liner) for continuing its operation despite the transport strike staged by majority of the drivers and small operators in the province supported by Bishop Navarra, in a press statement issued to the DAILY STAR.    

KMU spokesperson Roland Ian Evidente said the bus company is insensitive to the interest of the drivers and small operators affected by the series of oil price hikes and high taxes imposed by the government.*CGS

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