Palace on Piston leader arrest: ‘Not a harassment’

Roque emphasized that it is criminal and illegal for them to participate in any transport strike. (PCOO PHOTO)

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Tuesday said that the arrest order for the Pinagkaisahang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (Piston) president George San Mateo was not a form of harassment but an indication that the rule of the law is prevailing.

This statement came after Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) Secretary General Renato Reyes Jr. said that the arrest warrant against San Mateo is “obviously harassment and a move to intimidate transport groups.”

However, Roque emphasized that it is criminal and illegal for Piston to participate in any transport strike.

“I think he was warned that as a holder of franchise of certificate of public convenience (CPC), it is criminal and it is illegal for them to participate in any tigil-pasada (transport strike),” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press briefing.

Roque added that the arrest has nothing to do with arresting legal fronts, but was the consequence of violating Section 20(k) of the Commonwealth Act 146 or the Public Service Law.

“As I said it is also pursuant to a warrant of arrest duly issued by a court and therefore there can be no harassment here. We are just allowing the rule of law to prevail,” he added.

[READ: Court orders arrest of Piston leader over transport strike in February]

Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) board member Aileen Lizada announced on Tuesday that the court finds the existence of a probable cause for the issuance of a warrant of arrest against the accused San Mateo.

The case stemmed from a complaint filed by the LTFRB in September against San Mateo saying that the transport strike in February was prohibited under Memorandum Circular 2011-04 that outlines the revised terms for the granting of certificates of public convenience, and the Public Service Act.

Moreover, the Chair of the Senate committee on public services Senator Grace Poe on Tuesday also expressed doubts over the arrest of the transport group Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (Piston) leader George San Mateo, saying that “PUV modernization program should be borne from a democratic process and not from underhanded tactics.”

[READ: Poe questions arrest order vs Piston leader]