Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 1) — A transport group on Wednesday said it is not joining the planned transport strike next week to call for the withdrawal of a memorandum circular on mandatory consolidation due to concerns of possibly losing their franchise and safety.
“Hindi po natin alam kung anong mangyayari sa kanila, baka tanggalan po sila ng prangkisa… sinasabi naman nila [ACTO members] sa akin na hindi sila sasama, iniisip nila baka mamaya batuhin daw sila kaya nananawagan ako wala pong pilitan,” ACTO President Liberty de Luna told CNN Philippines’ The Source.
[Translation: We don’t know what will happen to them, maybe their franchise will be revoked. What they are telling me is that they will not join because they are thinking they might get hurt during the strike, so let’s not force those who are not joining us.]
Manibela Chairperson Mar Valbuena announced on Monday that his group and other traditional jeepney and UV Express operators and drivers are planning to hold a week-long strike from March 6 to 12 if the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) does not scrap its Memorandum Circular No. 2023-013 setting a deadline of June 30 for consolidation or forming a corporation.
The circular said only those who are able to comply will have their provisional authority extended until Dec. 31.
Valbuena said around 100,000 stakeholders will join the transport strike.
Other groups like Pasang Masda and FEJODAP have said they would rather have a dialogue with authorities scheduled at the end of this week than cripple the public transport system.
Overall, these two groups and ACTO have around 700,000 members nationwide.
While they support the move to consolidate, De Luna noted they feel that the June 30 deadline should be extended.
“Pag may korporasyon na po kayo, 15 na tao lang po muna ang pwedeng ipasok, assessment muna sa LTFRB and then iko-consolidate,” she explained.
[Translation: If you have a corporation, you can first include 15 people, then it will be assessed by the LTFRB, and then they will be consolidated.]
So far, 30% of ACTO’s 450,000 members have been consolidated.
