Gov’t affected by strike, says Piston- Cebu head

THE government is affected by the two-day nationwide transport strike.

Gregorio Perez, Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide-Cebu (Piston-Cebu) president, said this after President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to arrest those who would defy the implementation next year of the phaseout of old passenger utility jeepneys.

Perez, who was sought for his reaction on the President’s warning, said that the way the President threatened them only showed that the government was affected in the two-day transportation strike.

“Ang maong panghulga nagpakita ba nga natandog ang administrasyon. Peligro na sila. Dili sila kadawat (that is why he resorted to threaten us),” Perez added.

(The President’s threat shows that the administration was affected by the strike, and they could not accept that.)

President Duterte on Tuesday said that all public utility jeepneys (PUJ) will be phased out next year, and those who will defy this will be arrested and their units impounded.

Speaking before troops in Marawi City, Duterte said the current types of PUJ “are poisoning the people,” especially the poor, and he even went on to blast militants, including Piston, for rallying people to object the jeepney modernization program.

He said transport groups like Piston “once in a while go on strike, putting everybody in a very uncomfortable situation,” but he was bent on implementing the program.

“This is what I will do, either you modernize next year, sell your jeeps to the junkyards. Next year, I don’t want to see any single PUJ (on the streets) because if I see one, you will be arrested. Do not resist anymore because I am telling the truth, this is the law,” Duterte added.

He said no one will be allowed to “get away.”