No major disruptions during drivers' rally

CEBU, Philippines - The protest rally by members of two drivers groups yesterday did not make any dent on the traffic situation in Metro Cebu but the group managed to clinch a dialogue with Cebu City officials on Friday.

"We have an open line with Piston. Ato silang tabangan unsa atong matabang nila… to formulate legislation interventions although national issue ni. But if we deem it to appropriate render legal assistance to help the transport sectors," said  Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella.

The groups, Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide-Cebu (PISTON- Cebu) and the Alliance of Transport Organization Members Intra-Cebu (ATOMIC), are protesting a controversial Joint Administrative Order that imposes stiffer penalties on traffic violations.

Rudy Laconsa of ATOMIC said at least 29 will attend the dialogue together with city legal officers and councilors who are lawyers.

The dialogue will be held at 1 p.m. at the Cebu City Hall.

PISTON - Cebu, however, is yet to confirm attendance to the meeting.

Joy Tumulak, operations chief of the City Traffic Operations Management, said one of the issues raised by the protesting groups is the penal clause in City Ordinance 2207, which sends an erring driver to prison and/or fines him up to P5,000.

"Ipatangtang dili sila ikiha ug di pud sila ipapreso.  Wagtangon ang penalty," Tumulak said.

However, since CITOM does not have the authority to amend the ordinance, Tumulak said he recommended that the drivers send a petition to the City Council to have the ordinance reviewed. The Council approved the ordinance on September 30, 2009.

"Wala mi mahimo sa ilang panawagan kay igo raman mi mu-implement sa city ordinance," Tumulak said.

Less disruption

Gregg Perez, chairman of PISTON-Cebu, said the protest took away about 10 percent of the city's public transportation for at least two hours their members were in the streets.

Tumulak said  they observed fewer vehicles at around 9 a.m., the time the drivers started gathering at the Fuente Osmeña circle, but the situation reportedly went back to normal around 11 a.m.

Ten Kaoshiung buses were deployed in the city's north corridor, in the Talamban area, as early as 5 a.m.

"I think wala man na-paralyze. Dunay gi-mobilize nga 20 Ceres buses. Five buses gi-deploy. Ang Talisay buses we asked them Malacañang sa Sugbo taman para dili congested ang streets while sa Mandaue, adto sad sa SM and Country Mall. Naay coordination with other cities," Labella said.

Ahmed Cuizon, regional director of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-7, said the agency has deployed 20 buses to different areas of Metro Cebu. One bus was deployed in the morning and the rest were on standby until in the evening.

"Wala may na reported nga naay transport paralysis. So the buses had to stop plying kay di sad sila ganahan mu-kumpetinsiya sa mga jeepneys. Daghan ra man mga jeepneys ang nagbiyahe," Cuizon said.

City Intelligence Branch (CIB) chief, Supt. Romeo Santander, also said the rally did not affect peace and order.

"Gamay ra sila, di gyud ingon sa ilang giingon before sa rally. Wala gyud makapabalda sa mga pasahero. Wala gyud ingon nga naay untoward incident," Santander said.

Vehicle traffic also remained stable in Mandaue City.

"Akong na kita nga daghan ra man mga jeepneys nga nag biyahe. Wa may transport paralysis sa Mandaue area," said Romeo Armamento, president of the Mandaue United Drivers Association.

Armamento, NCTU-CV national vice president, said his group was supposed to decide yesterday whether or not they will stage their own rally, but they chose to wait until the outcome of their dialogue with the Land Transportation Office on Thursday.

"Pero naa man mi scheduled nga dialogue with LTO-7 regional director on Thursday so magpa abot lang sa mi unsa ang resulta sa maong dialogue before mi mo desisyon kung ipadayon ba namo ang among plano nga mag-transport strike," Armamento said.

The protesting groups marched to the offices of LTO, Department of Energy-7, but did not request for a dialogue.

They went to DOE to seek for the implementation of a P6 fuel subsidy and the removal of the 12 percent value added tax for fuel.

Majority of the jeepney drivers in Cebu who are under the National Confederation of Transportworker's Union-Central Visayas and the Cebu Integrated Transport Service Multi-purpose Cooperative (CITRASCO) opted not to join the picket yesterday.

NCTU-CV and CV has a combined of over 3,000 drivers as members plying in the different routes of Metro Cebu. Kristine B. Quintas, Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon, Flor Z. Perolina, Bryner L. Diaz, Jean Marvette A. Demecillo/JMO