Bicol transport leader shot as strikers claim success

LEGAZPI CITY, PHilippines  – A leader of a jeepney drivers’ group in Bicol was shot and wounded during the nationwide transport strike yesterday.

Despite the attack, PISTON (Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide) hailed the protest action as a success.

George San Mateo, PISTON secretary general, said “government elements” masterminded the shooting of Joel Ascutia, PISTON-affiliate Concerned Drivers and Operators for Reform (CONDOR) president.

“We condemn the shooting of Condor-Piston-Bicol leader Joel Ascutia this early morning,” he said.

“We vow that this shooting, which aims to sow fear among drivers and ordinary people so they will not exercise their right to protest and assert their rights and interests, will not achieve its objective.”

Superintendent Antonio Freyra, Daraga police chief, said Ascutia was shot and wounded in the left thigh as he was organizing the nationwide transport strike in Daraga, Albay early yesterday morning.

The 42-year-old Ascutia was already out of danger in the Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital in Legazpi City, he added.

Freyra said it seems that the gunman was not a professional because only one of the five shots that he fired hit Ascutia.

“And that this shot only grazed the stomach and leg of the victim,” he said. “He even slid from his motorcycle after the shot.”

A lone gunman armed with a 9mm pistol shot Ascutia at least five times at close range while the latter was seated inside his jeepney parked along Rizal street in Daraga at around 4:25 a.m., according to Inspector Payne Natuel, Bicol police public information chief.

San Mateo said the sudden announcements of oil price rollbacks early yesterday were proof that the nationwide strike was a success.

“The independent player UniOil declared today that it will rollback the price of its gasoline by P4.75, its diesel by P3.50 and its kerosene by P1.50,” he said.

“We hope that these amounts get bigger and, more importantly, that the Big Three follow suit.”

San Mateo said the strike was able to cripple up to 100 percent of jeepney routes in Metro Manila and nearby the provinces.

“We were able to do this despite various maneuvers of the Big Three and the Arroyo regime to dampen the drivers’ and people’s protest and to make our transport strike and people’s protest seem unreasonable,” he said.

San Mateo said PISTON decided to push through with the transport strike despite the announcement from Unioil, believing that it was just a ploy to make their protest action appear unreasonable.

“In the entire National Capital Region, we were able to achieve a 70 percent to 80 percent peak of paralysis,” he said.

In areas where our organizations are strongest, we were able to achieve 80 percent to 100 percent level of paralysis.”

San Mateo said that the strike had achieved 80 to 100 percent level of paralysis in Navotas, Muntinlupa, Balintawak, Sangandaan-Polo, Sucat, Philcoa, Alabang, Litex and Novaliches. 

“Outside Metro Manila, we were able to achieve a high level of paralysis in Davao, Cainta, Angono, Cagayan de Oro, and provinces in the Bicol and Southern Tagalog regions.”

Tricycles plied jeepney routes

During the strike, tricycles in Daraga took over the jeepney routes and charged P10 per passenger from Daraga to Legazpi City.

Land Transportation officials said at least 50 percent of transport operations were paralyzed in Bicol during the strike.

However, transport leaders said the strike paralyzed 90 percent of public transportation in Albay, 98 percent in Camarines Norte, 40 percent in Sorsogon, and 30 percent in Camarines Sur.

 The strike caused authorities to suspend classes in Bicol, particularly in Albay where the state-run Bicol University, with about 15,000 students, is located, along with other big private colleges and universities.

After word spread of Ascutia’s shooting, the transport strike in Bicol turned into an indignation rally.

Transport leaders and militant organizations rallied at the place where Ascutia was shot. Militants from across Bicol, including some Catholic Church officials, issued statements condemning the shooting.

Strike ‘hardly felt’ in Metro

In Metro Manila, police commander Chief Superintendent Roberto Rosales said the strike was hardly felt and that the public transport system returned to normal at about 3:30 pm. yesterday.

“We received no report of stranded passengers,” he said.

“The transport strike was hardly felt in Metro Manila as other transport groups continued plying their routes.”

Rosales said transport groups based in Manila and eastern Metro Manila failed to heed the call of transport leaders to join the strike.

“We have been closely monitoring the situation in the streets and major thoroughfares,” he said.

“We are on the lookout for striking drivers harassing and intimidating fellow drivers who continue plying their routes.”

In at least six areas in Quezon City, three in southern Metro Manila and four in northern Metro Manila, drivers refused to ply their routes during the strike, Rosales said.

However, George San Mateo, Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operaytors Nationwdie (PISTON) secretary general, said an estimated 70 percent of jeepney drivers in the metropolis joined the transport strike.

On the other hand, chairman Alberto Suansing of the Land Transportation, Franchising and Regulatory Board said only 10 percent of the jeepney drivers participated in the strike in Metro Manila. 

In Parañaque, around 90 percent of the transport operations were paralyzed during the nationwide strike yesterday.

Lloyd Palconan of the Parañaque Public Information Office said tricycles were ferrying people near BF Homes in Sucat.

“As a result of the transport strike, City Hall employees were dismissed earlier than usual,” he said.

A city-owned bus was used to transport stranded commuters, particularly those passing through the Baclaran-Sucat route, Palconan said.

In Muntinlupa, the traffic situation was reportedly normal although personnel of the city’s Traffic Division monitored around 30 jeepney drivers who converged near the Alabang Terminal.

In Taguig and Pasay City, the transport strike was not felt as jeepneys continued to ply their routes.

90% paralyzed in Iligan City

Striking transport groups, drivers and operators paralyzed at least 90 percent of transport system operations in Iligan City.

No incidence of violence was reported.

Iligan City Mayor Lawrence Lluch Cruz suspended classes in public elementary and high schools.

However, he left to the administrators whether to suspend classes in private schools.

Government and private offices, banks, and other establishments around the city remained open.

Transport groups Clutch and Piston started their strike at about 5 a.m. and ended at 5 p.m. yesterday.

Placard-bearing drivers and operators barricaded the north and south highway entrances to Iligan City to stop passenger jeepneys from plying their routes.

However, the transport group spokesman said provincial buses from Cagayan de Oro city and Zamboanga City were allowed to pass based on their “agreement” with the management of the said bus companies.

Speaking over radio, Michael Macarambon of the Land Transportation Office said the penalties imposed on erring drivers and operators have been increased to upgrade the revenue generation of the government.

By tradition, transport operators and drivers in nearby Marawi City, Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte do not join transport strikes, according to Amer Mackno, a public transport operator from Balo-i town, Lanao del Norte.

Passengers stranded in Davao City

Commuters were stranded as the nationwide transport strike paralyzed public transportation in Davao City, yesterday.

At least 60 percent of the city’s public transport drivers joined the protest action, according to the Transmission- Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Transmission-Piston),

However, city officials placed at 30 percent the number of public utility drivers that participated in the strike.

However, the city deployed buses to ferry stranded passengers.

Authorities said the strike paralyzed 80 percent of public transportation in in Cagayan de Oro City.

In the cities of Cotabato, General Santos, Koronadal and other areas in Cotabato province, transport drivers and operators did not join the nationwide strike.

Group denounces strike

The National Council for Commuters Protection (NCCP) denounced yesterday the nationwide transport strike as an open defiance of the law.

Lawyer Vicente Milliora said they are now studying possible legal action against drivers and operators who joined the strike to protest a directive from the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) imposing higher penalties for traffic violation and the erratic prices of oil.

“Those who joined the strike want to violate traffic rules and get away with it,” he said.

Milliora said the transport strike was unfair since the commuters had nothing to do with the penalties being raised.

“Instead of joining the strike they should bring the issue to the right forum or they can go to court.”

They are making strong representations with Metro Manila Development Authority and Land Transportation Office to suspend the color-coding among public utility and FX vehicles to provide commuters alternative transportation during a strike, Milliora said. – With Rainier Allan Ronda, Non Alquitran, Rhodina Villanueva, Dennis Carcamo, Lino dela Cruz, Edith Regalado, Perseus Echeminada