PISTON clarified on Wednesday that it did not call for a transport strike on Tuesday, but it did hold a small protest in front of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to call for the suspension of taxes on petroleum products.
PISTON national president Mody Floranda made the clarification after Malacañang called on transport groups to forego their planned transport strike this week amid a shortage of public utility vehicles (PUVs).
"We urge jeep drivers and operators not to push through with their planned transport strike this week," acting presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar on Wednesday.
According to Floranda, they did not hold a transport strike and explained that the lack of PUVs as of late was because of drivers leaving the industry to look for sources of income elsewhere.
"Wala po tayong panawagan ng tigil-pasada kahapon," he told DZRH in an interview. "Kahapon ang ginawa po natin ay nagkaroon po tayo ng pagkilos dito sa harapan ng Petron sa may LTFRB."
(We did not call for a transport strike yesterday. Yesterday, we had a protest in front of Petron near the LTFRB.)
Floranda attributed the recent shortage of PUVs to drivers who are starting to leave their vehicles and are shifting to farming or construction to find other sources of income amid soaring oil prices.
"Kabuuan na po 'yun na 20% dito sa National Capital Region 'yung talagang huminto sa biyahe dahil hindi na kakayanin ng mga driver," he said.
(About 20% of drivers in the National Capital Region stopped operating because the drivers could not take it anymore.)
"'Yung iba ay nag-construction worker, 'yung iba naman ay umuuwi ng probinsya, bumabalik mula sa pagsasaka," he explained. "Hindi man nila gustihin na pumasok sa construction ay mapipilitan dahil para mabuhay lamang ang kanilang pamilya."
(Some became construction workers, others went home to their provinces, returned to farming. They are forced to enter construction despite not wanting it because they need to feed their families.)
Andanar previously said they are already addressing the struggles of drivers and operators in the transportation sector due to rising fuel prices, pointing out that over 180,000 PUV operators were already given fuel subsidies as of June 1.
