Transport group MANIBELA will push through with the one-week transport strike from March 6 to March 12.
"Ganoon pa rin ang stand. Wala pa rin nagbago," Mar Valbuena, chairperson of MANIBELA, said on Wednesday, March 1 during DZRH's Balansyado.
Valbuena made the the announcement after the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) extended the deadline for jeepney operators to comply with the public utility vehicle franchise consolidation.
LTFRB moved the deadline from June 30 to December 31.
Valbuena stressed that the group wants the LTFRB Board to scrap memorandum circular 2023-013, which states that PUJ operators can no longer operate after June 30 unless they join a cooperative or corporation
"Hindi pa rin nila binabawi yung kami ay sasali doon sa mga kooperatiba na nauna na," Valbuena said.
Valbuena said that more than 40,000 operators and drivers of traditional jeepney and UV Express will join the seven-day transport strike, which he said could continue beyond March 12.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier called for transport groups to reconsider holding a transport strike, which could affect commuters, and promised to look into the calls to postpone the phaseout of traditional jeepneys, as part of the public utility vehicle modernization program.
Valbuena expressed gratitude President Marcos but said that the planned transport strike will still continue.
"Yung malasakit niya nandiyan pero hindi siya pinakinggan ng kanyang mga empleyado sa gobyerno na nilagay niya. Iyon ang nakakalungkot," the transport group leader said.
