MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) announced that it will deploy vehicles to offer free rides to commuters affected by the upcoming two-day strike led by transport groups Manibela and Piston:The Philippine National Police (PNP) announced that it will deploy vehicles to offer free rides to commuters affected by the upcoming two-day strike led by transport groups Manibela and Piston, which is set to begin on Monday. This move is aimed at assisting those who may be stranded due to the disruptions caused by the strike. The initiative also sees participation from local government units, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.
According to Philippines News Agency, PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo stated in a radio interview that police units will monitor their respective areas and provide necessary assistance to stranded passengers. “The order of our Chief PNP (Gen. Rommel Marbil) is to provide free rides to the stranded commuters,”
Fajardo explained. This decision comes as transport groups Manibela and Piston continue their opposition against the government’s Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP). The groups demand the cessation of forced franchise consolidation, renewal of franchises and registrations for all public utility vehicle operators, redirection of funds from phaseout programs to the rehabilitation of traditional jeepneys and subsidies for local industries, and allowance for the withdrawal from franchise consolidation.
Senate President Francis Escudero recently engaged with Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista and Undersecretary for Road Transport and Infrastructure Jesus Ferdinand Ortega to ensure that the PTMP has minimal impacts on drivers and operators. Escudero emphasized the importance of including every driver and operator in the modernization efforts, acknowledging their reliance on jeepneys for livelihood. “We are all for organizing and modernizing the operations of our PUVs but we should als
o exert all efforts to include every driver and operator who have relied on jeepneys as their sources of livelihood,” he stated.
While the government respects the right to protest, it also recognizes the need to maintain regular transport services for other operators and drivers. “We are always ready and our police forces are always on standby,” Fajardo added, highlighting the readiness of the PNP to handle any issues arising from the strike.