PISTON-Panay holds caravan protest

PUJ drivers in Aklan province also held a caravan protest while those in Roxas City in Capiz opted to conduct a picket rally.(PNA photo)

ILOILO CITY— The Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (PISTON-Panay) pushed through with its caravan protest here even with the cancellation of its two-day national strike which was supposed to start Monday.

Edgar Salarda, PISTON-Panay president, said they are against the modernization program, Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) and the hike in oil prices.

The caravan was participated by more or less 28 public utility jeepneys (PUJs) from Iloilo City and the province. It started from the Mohon terminal in Arevalo district and ended at the Jaro plaza.

Salarda said they roamed terminals in this city to raise awareness among their fellow PUJ drivers of issues affecting them.

PUJ drivers in Aklan province also held a caravan protest while those in Roxas City in Capiz opted to conduct a picket rally.

Salarada reiterated that the modernization program would affect 80 to 90 percent of PUJs in Panay equivalent to more or less 12,000 jeepneys.

The two-day nationwide transport strike was cancelled following the call of Senator Grace Poe for transport groups to instead sit down with senators in a Senate hearing on December 7 to discuss the proposed jeepney modernization program.

“It is a big development. We are hoping that it would be big help for us,” Salarda stressed.

Meanwhile, Salarda said that they will ask the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to exempt Panay from the jeepney modernization program like Davao City.

Salarda said that they had previously met with City Councilor Joshua Alim and raised their concern to him regarding their appeal.