MANILA, Philippines, March 20 ------ Allegations of falsified consolidation figures have prompted transport group Manibela to stage a three-day nationwide jeepney strike starting on March 24.
False data on the public utility vehicle modernization program prevented PUV drivers with expired provisional authorities from renewing their registration, according to Manibela chairman Mar Valbuena. President Marcos and the public were misled by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) in reporting that 86 percent of PUV operators had consolidated, Valbuena said.
Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon, however, admitted that only 43 percent of jeepney operators had been approved for consolidation. Dizon said the 86-percent consolidation rate reported by the LTFRB only reflected operators who submitted their requirements, not those officially approved.
Manibela is calling for the resignation of LTFRB Chairman Teofilo Guadiz III, saying that drivers are being forced out of operation due to inaccurate data. “These false data, which led to the loss of our livelihood, are the reason we are protesting,” Valbuena said. “Many people have taken advantage (of our situation) by offering consolidation services to extract money from individual operators,” he added.
Valbuena said Manibela is collecting data on jeepney operators apprehended for having an expired provisional authority. The group will submit the information to the Office of the Ombudsman as part of a complaint to be filed against the LTFRB.
Source: philstar.com
Comments