Tag Archives: Transport

[In the news] Labor group slams LRT, MRT fare hike -PhilStar

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Labor group slams LRT, MRT fare hike
By Sheila Crisostomo, The Philippine Star
January 3, 2015

MANILA, Philippines – The labor group Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) slammed the impending hike in the fares of Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Metro Rail Transit (MRT), pointing out the government subsidy for the travel budget of public officials is also increasing.

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PM spokesman Wilson Fortaleza said the travel budget of public officials has increased by at least P1.5 billion yearly since 2011.

“Clearly, there is a tale of inequality in this issue. First, the fare hike as admitted by Secretary Abaya himself is meant not for service upgrade but mainly for debt payments to an onerous contract with a private concessionaire,” Fortaleza said, referring to Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya.

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[Press Release] Transport workers call oil price review body’s findings pre-fabricated and bogus, vow to continue fight -PMT

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Transport workers call oil price review body’s findings
pre-fabricated and bogus, vow to continue fight

In a public presentation for transport groups held today at the UP Diliman School of Economics, the Independent Oil Price Review Committee (IOPRC) refuted claims that petroleum products in the country where unfairly priced as they exonerated oil companies from allegations of amassing excessive profits. The body also said they saw “nothing extraordinary” with local fuel price movements noting responsiveness to world market price changes.

Meanwhile, members of the PagkakaisangManggagawasaTransportasyon (PMT) and allied organizations protested outside to condemn what they called “pre-fabricated and bogus findings and recommendations by the committee”. According to them “the self-professed independent body turned out to be another instrument to cover up abuses being perpetrated by oil companies and defend the bankrupt oil industry deregulation policy. The only “good thing” to come out of this shenanigan is that it exposed, once again, the collusion between government and oil companies to cause the suffering of the Filipino masses.”

“We are not surprised.We have heard such conclusions time and again from Sec. Almendras and his predecessors at the DOE. What would you expect from a body created, tasked and funded by the DOE?” said Roger Javinal PMT spokesperson.

“But we are dismayed with the esteemed members of the IOPRC for allowing themselves to be used as dummies to justify the exploitation of the oil companies and rationalize the inaction of cohorts in government. We had expected more from them, specially Prof. Diokno.” continued Javinal.

“To find the oil deregulation policy successful in promoting fair prices by the simple increase in the number of companies who sell petroleum products in the country is garbage and an utter insult to the Filipino people’s intelligence. The high-faluting way the IOPRC presented its findings and recommendations, without caution of probable illusions, false-relationships and biases the techniques or approaches employed may lead to, smacks of dishonesty and deception.” explained Larry Pascua, PMT Secretary General and representative to the public presentation.

“How can they say that that there was no overpricing and profiteering when they did not even get to study the real price of oil based on production costs, when they did not even get to scrutinize inventory data and supply contracts of local companies and their dummies, when they did not bother to delve into the dynamics of international monopoly corporations? Aside from these necessary issues, the body completely disregarded public welfare in the conduct of the review, to us the only acceptable bias. Prof. Diokno is even quoted recommending the deregulation of public transport to allow them automatic fare adjustments callously declaring that a monthly P.50 increase in fare won’t be too much of a burden. Such statements make us think that maybe this stint with the Almendras committee made him and the rest of the members for life?” added Pascua.

“These findings and recommendations are unbelievable and unacceptable. Illusions peddled by this administration of a “tuwid na daan” and “kayo ang boss ko” governance continue to erode. The only real and meaningful change can only come from the masses’ direct political action. We will continue to protest against fuel products overpricing and profiteering. We will continue to demand for the scrapping of the oil deregulation law and VAT on oil products. Our ranks will only grow. Lies and falsities will not stand the judgement of history.” concluded Pascua.

Please contact for further information:
Dante Lagman (President, PMT) Cellphone #: 09228898134
Larry Pascua (Sec. Gen., PMT) Cellphone #: 09052050031

Press Release
September 10, 2012
Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Transportasyon

[Statement] On the creation of DOTC-DOE-DOJ task force: Government action or ploy? – PMT

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Reacting to the nationwide protest actions spearheaded by transport groups held Monday, Transportation Secretary Mar Roxas announced the creation of a tri-agency task force to look into the pricing scheme of oil companies to determine if there is truth to suspicions they work as a cartel to control prices of oil in the country. Along with the Justice and Energy department, the task force will investigate complaints of overpricing and determine if price increases were just and reasonable.

“We find this announcement very suspicious. Was it meant to address the grievance raised by transport workers on oil prices or just another ploy to deceive us and the public?” said Dante Lagman, President of militant transport group Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Transportasyon (PMT).

On September 14, 2011, the Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Transportasyon (PMT) filed a complaint with the DOJ. They want oil companies, particularly the Big 3 (Petron, Shell and Caltex), to be prosecuted and penalized for collusion, overpricing and price manipulation.

“In our complaint, we asked the DOE-DOJ task force to act within the 30 day mandatory period. This task force is a mechanism created by the Oil Deregulation Law (ODL) to check abuses by oil companies, contrary to claims by government that they are powerless against patently unfair and unreasonable oil price increases. The wisdom of the 30 day period guarantees swift and decisive action to arrest the exploitative nature of the oil oligopoly. It’s just that this remedy was never exercised. Government opted to protect the interest of oil companies over the masses.” stressed Lagman.

“We fear that the tri-agency of Roxas aims to once again circumvent the law.It is a ploy to let the masses think that PNoy administration is doing something to solve the problems of the country. Worse, it will rule in favor of the oil companies and proclaim that deregulation can still work.”

“The PNoy administration should stop being an accomplice to unjust profiteering by oil companies. It should instead listen to the demands of its people – substantial roll back of petroleum prices, punish oil companies, remove the VAT and repeal the Oil Deregulation Law.” concluded Lagman.

PagkakaisangManggagawasaTransportasyon (PMT)
Dante Lagman
President
0922-8898134

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[Press Release] Which is worse? The inability to paralyze transport or government inaction to the pleas of the people? – PMT

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A question for MMDA Chairman Tolentino and Spokeperson Lacierda:

Which is worse? The inability to paralyze transport
or government inaction to the pleas of the people?

Palace spokesperson Lacierda and MMDA Chairman Tolentino are in a chorus. They say that the so-called transport strike was a “dud” because it failed to paralyze transport in the country.

But which is worse? The failure to paralyze transport? Or government failure to address spiraling oil prices and its paralysis on the people’s demand for oil regulation, a bigger and substantial rollback, and the removal of VAT on petroleum products?

Infinitely much worse is a government that is a willing and able accomplice to unjust and immoral profiteering by the oil industry. A government, which does not lift a finger to bring down oil prices because it collects more taxes, through VAT, in as much as prices increase in a deregulated market.

Was the recent “transport strike” a success or a failure? How do we measure a success of a strike (be it in transportation or in factories)? First, a strike must be able to paralyze the operations of a business. Second, as a consequence of the stoppage in the circulation of capital, the management gives in to the demands of the strikers, which could either be a partial or full concession to them.

Using these two conditions, we could say that the so-called “strike” was a failure. Even before September 19, the PMT knew that organized groups in the transport sector have not mustered enough strength and conviction to paralyze transport. In so doing, we called for a nationwide protest, not a strike, for the regulation and control of the oil industry.

This “mistake” of PISTON and Mateo is not a costly one; and could be justified. They probably used the term “transport strike”, more for propaganda than an actual call to paralyze transport, in order to highlight a just and moral demand that needs more attention in the mainstream media.

However, we openly declare that the so-called “transport strike” was a success. It popularized, on a nationwide scale, the demand to remove VAT on oil prices and to control oil prices. Because even the commuting public viewed the protests not as a nuisance but a legitimate expression of their discontent and disgust against the scandalous profiteering by oil companies.

Hence, we view the nationwide protest as a “break in”, a warm-up for an actual paralysis of transport in the coming period. More so, because oil companies had the gall to grant a pittance after today’s protest.A mere twenty centavo (P.20) per litter rollback, which further stokes the discontent of the Filipino people.

Along with Lacierda and Tolentino, the oil oligarchs are provoking the people to rebel against the system. However we will not pursue an “inciting to sedition” case against them. If they would continue to ignore the people’s desperate plea to control oil prices, they would have their day and we will give them want they want! #

Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Transportasyon (PMT)
Dante Lagman
President
0922-8898134

Related articles

Transport strike fizzles in Metro Manila – INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

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Transport strike fizzles in Metro Manila – INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos.

But protests vs oil spikes cripple Angeles, Davao
By Inquirer Bureaus
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Source: Inquirer.net
Filed Under: Road Transport, Strike, Protest, Oil & Gas – Downstream activities

source: Inquirer.net

MANILA, Philippines — The transport strike called by militant groups to protest high fuel prices was hardly felt in Metro Manila, but it stalled traffic in Angeles City in Pampanga province and major urban centers and provinces in Mindanao.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said Metro Manila was spared from any significant disruption in mass transport services as the United Organizations of Drivers and Operators Nationwide (Piston) limited their protest actions.

This came amid threats by the LTFRB that operators of jeepneys and other forms of mass transport would lose their licenses to operate if the protests against high fuel prices resulted in commuters losing their means to get around the metropolis.

Commuters in Metro Manila went about their daily routine despite the “transport caravan” organized by Piston.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said the protest action did not paralyze transportation in the metropolis as other transport groups did not participate in the activity.

“But I think it was really not their purpose (to paralyze transport system),” MMDA Chair Francis Tolentino said.

“They might just want to ventilate their grievances,” he said.

Piston said there really was no intention to paralyze transportation in Metro Manila.

George San Mateo, Piston secretary general, said the next protest action would be bigger.

“This is just a dry run. If our demands are not addressed, we will call for a bigger action,” Mateo told the Philippine Daily Inquirer at the Welcome Rotunda in Quezon City.

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