TRANSPORT group Manibela ended its strike one day earlier, calling off protests by Thursday afternoon following appeals from transport officials and commuters as the Philippines braces for a wider movement against alleged government corruption on Sept. 21.
In several Facebook posts, the group said the Department of Transportation, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, the Land Transportation Office, and civil society groups had urged the organization to call off its planned three-day strike, which kicked off on Wednesday.
Public utility jeepneys remain the backbone of mass transport in the Philippines, carrying millions of commuters daily and serving as the primary mode of travel in both urban centers and rural towns.
Other transport groups on the same day warned that entrenched corruption in state agencies is driving up costs and eroding livelihoods, urging the government to act against alleged payoffs and extortion schemes in the sector.
The coalition said that corruption has exacerbated the burden of rising fuel prices, inadequate subsidies for public transportation, poor infrastructure and policies that they consider anti-poor, such as the oil deregulation law and the planned phaseout of traditional jeepneys.
The statement was signed by major transport groups, including the Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operators Nationwide (PISTON), Kapatiran ng Riders para sa Karapatan (KaRiders) and Manila Taxi Regional Association (MANTRA), among others.
“While Filipinos tighten their belts to survive, officials and their local and foreign business cohorts continue to feast on public funds,” the groups said in Filipino in their unity statement.
The alliance demanded accountability from government officials and called for the dismantling of what it called a “rotten system” of governance in favor of a progressive, pro-people framework.
“Transport workers are ready to fight corruption and hold all those involved accountable,” the groups said.
This comes as the Philippines continues its probe into alleged corruption, zeroing in on multibillion-peso infrastructure projects.
Manibela launched its strike on Sept. 17 to protest alleged corruption and misuse of public funds. It noted, however, that it would join the mass protests scheduled on Sept. 21, Sunday, to decry anomalies in the Philippine government.
The mass protest also falls on the anniversary of the declaration of martial law in 1972, when the father and namesake of current Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. ordered military rule that ushered in years of authoritarian governance, rights abuses and economic decline.
The late President Ferdinand E. Marcos, Sr. held power for 21 years, during which his family accumulated millions in ill-gotten wealth.
The incumbent chief executive, however, has made bold pronouncements against corruption as Filipinos suffered the devastating effects of climate change and an outdated flood mitigation system.
He had also backed the Filipinos’ plan to protest on Sept. 21, noting that if he were not the president, he would also take to the streets. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana