Progressive groups launched a three-day people’s protest starting today in reaction to the Ferdinand Marcos Jr. government’s failure to curb runaway fuel prices as the Middle East war lingers.
Drivers’ group Piston launched a three-day transport strike in protest of the government’s refusal to suspend excise and value added taxes on diesel and petrol, two of the most used fuels in the Philippines.
The organization also denounced the US-Israel war against Iran, including President Donald Trump’s declaration of another blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
Students and faculty of the main campus of the University of the Philippines staged a walk-out on Wednesday denouncing the “Zionist US-Israel” war in the Middle East.
Urban poor group Kadamay joined various drivers’ strike centers on Wednesday, calling on the Marcos government to suspend oil taxes to curb inflation in prices commodities and services.
The group’s protest center at the Department of Social Work and Development was violently dispersed by elements of the Quezon City Police District, injuring several protesters from Pandi, Bulacan demanding payment of promised benefits.
Political party Bayan Muna also joined rallies and called on oil companies to abide by the unbundling of prices to determine their profit increases as the war in West Asia rages.
Meanwhile, the labor union of a popular Chinese restaurant launched a strike timed for today’s People’s Protest. Workers of Kowloon Restaurant said their own strike is both a demand for salary and benefit increase as well as solidarity with transportation workers.
Ronald Mendoza said he is among the 20 per cent of jeepney drivers in the country who have gone to voluntary suspension of operation even before the strike.
He said his income had dived to nothing since diesel had breached P140 per litre even as he extended driving operations by two hours daily.
Metro Manila bus operators also reduced their active fleet by 20 per cent despite the government contracting schemes to put public transport vehicles on the road.
Commuters like student Edna Simbay fear that her commute to and from school would prove even harder, compelling several universities to allow online classes on what remains of the current semester.
Marcos Jr. suspended excise taxes on cooking gas and kerosene on Monday, refusing however to extend his declaration to diesel and petrol. He said his government needs the revenue to fund fuel subsidy and cash aid schemes to transport workers.
Activist group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan condemned Marcos’ refusal, saying the president is only focused on “band-aid, piece-meal measures” that are “grossly inadequate given the magnitude of the crisis.”
“We must continue to hold the Marcos Jr. regime to account for its extremely slow and insufficient response 45 days into the crisis,” the group said. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
