Iloilo drivers stage strike to seek oil price rollback

A transport strike virtually paralyzed Iloilo City yesterday, with 95 percent of the members of the Iloilo City Alliance of Drivers’ Associations (ICADA) joining the mass action to seek a rollback in oil prices.

"If the government will not listen to our call, and prices of petroleum products will continue to increase, we will be forced to (seek) a P1 increase in our regular P4 fare in the city," said Jun Abella, spokesman of Piston-Panay.

The strikers demanded a P2.31 rollback in the prices of petroleum products.

Abella said members of the Federation of Iloilo Drivers’ Associations also joined the strike despite earlier pronouncements that they would not cooperate.

About 50 percent of taxi operations were also halted during the protest action which began at 12:01 a.m. yesterday.

Some schools suspended their classes due to the strike.

Senior Superintendent Policarpio Segubre, city police chief, placed all precincts on red alert because of the transport stoppage and the march of militant groups. — Leo Solinap