After two rallies, the militant transport group Piston and their comrades had a boodle fight and a dialogue with transport officials.
CDN Photo/Junjie Mendoza(CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
AS promised, there were no transport strikes staged in Metro Cebu yesterday.
Instead, the militant transport group Piston joined an urban poor group rally, held their own in front of a government transport agency office.
They ended their day with a dialogue and boodle fight or communal meal with a top transport official.
Piston Cebu chapter head Greg Perez said yesterday’s rally is a culmination of their protest actions against the government’s phaseout of old jeepneys.
He said they will continue with their rallies until the government heeds their sentiments against the phaseout and modernization of mass transport program.
Piston first joined an urban poor group rally in front of the National Housing Authority (NHA-7) office at Gorordo Street, Cebu City as part of the observance of Urban Poor Week.
They later marched towards the regional office of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB-7) for a rally against the jeepney phaseout.
They had a dialogue with LTFRB-7 director Ahmed Cuizon, and LTFRB operations head Rey Elnar who told them that they are still waiting for word from their central office on when the program and phaseout will commence.
The boodle fight meal of rice and dried fish was prepared by the urban poor group.
Cuizon said his office will relay Piston’s sentiments to their Manila office.